Moon Over La Gabriella
by Pyewacket75
Summary: AU- House returns from Mayfield to find that he has an admirer and a dangerous one at that. Cuddy hires a bodyguard to protect her biggest asset and keep House safe. Gabriella is tough and won't stand for House's nonsense. But will she be willing to take a bullet for him? Rated M for eventual sexy scenes. *Currently under revision*
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I couldn't think of a decent title for this story. The Bodyguard just seemed so..overused, and I watched An Affair to Remember recently and Moon Over La Gabriella popped into my head. So there you have it. It probably won't make sense if you haven't seen the movie so if not, just go with it :)**_

_**This is a story that's been floating around in my head for awhile and I had to get it out. I have no idea how long it'll be. It could be 5 chapters, or it could be 15. I just don't know. I haven't written any House fanfic in a long time so I'm a little rusty. Bear with me.** _

_Disclaimer: I don't own House MD or any of its characters. So don't sue me._

* * *

**Chapter One**

"What do you think it means?" Cuddy asked Wilson as they stared at the note.

"I think someone felt cheated because House refused to take their case, someone died or whatever, and they're taking their anger out on House."

"Well whoever they are, they're not very good stalkers. If they were, they'd be sending these to Mayfield where House is."

"Maybe they're sending it here to scare us. To let us know they're watching."

"Or they know he's coming back in a few days," Cuddy pointed out.

"What should we do? We won't be able to hide this from him for long. He's going to be staying with me for awhile so maybe that will throw them off.

"I guess we'll just have to see how it goes."

"See how what goes?" A familiar voice said from the doorway.

Both Wilson and Cuddy turned around and she quickly hid the notes behind her back, hoping House doesn't see them.

"House, you're early."

"Yeah. It was getting crowded. They gave me a nice send-off though. I got cake and everything. So whatcha got there?" He inquired, pointing to the hand behind Cuddy's back.

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Then why hide it?"

"House just drop it."

House smirked. "I might've been in the booby hatch but that doesn't mean I've changed that much." He held out his hand. "Gimme."

Cuddy had to admit he was looking well. He'd cut his hair super short and his beard was fuller, but he'd definitely lost some weight. It looked good on him and a small part of her reacted favorably, causing her to blush slightly. Those big blue eyes of his practically entranced her enough to hand over the notes from his stalker.

He looked them over and ripped them up. "You think I don't get these every so often? Who cares?"

"It's from the same person," Wilson told him. "And they've been coming non-stop to your apartment and office since you went to Mayfield. Whoever it is means business."

"Nolan wants you to stay with Wilson for the next couple of months," Cuddy told him and then held up her hand when House started to roll his eyes. "Just until you get your medical license fully reinstated and..."

"To make sure I don't relapse?" House sighed and flopped down in the nearest chair. "Glad to see my best friends have so much faith in me."

"It's not just that. It's your stalker. If you stay with me, you'll be safe."

"Safe from what? You think he's going to climb in through my bedroom window and blow my head off?"

"What makes you think it's a he?" Cuddy asked him. "I seem to remember a certain teenage _female_ stalker a few years ago."

House laughed and shook his head. "She had spores from the earthquakes in Fresno. The symptoms made her believe she was in love with me. She was harmless. Most stalkers are."

"No, they aren't. I can list half a dozen names of famous stalkers who killed or came close to killing their prey. So bottom line, you're staying with me until the coast is clear."

"But your place is so small," House whined like a petulant child. "I think you're both over-reacting but whatever. Since I'm in such a good mood I'll indulge you this time. So, got a patient for me?"

"Not yet. Until your license is fully reinstated, you have to do rounds and clinic duty."

"And if I get a patient?"

"Foreman's in charge."

House rolled his eyes. "You've got to be kidding me! Why did I even bother coming back? This is total bullshit!" he snapped and then limped out of Cuddy's office.

"Well that was unexpected," Wilson muttered.

"My hands are tied," Cuddy said with a shrug. "He can't treat patients right now. Foreman will have to have the final say."

"Why not Chase? He's the one who thinks more like House than anyone. He's perfectly capable of running Diagnostics."

"Foreman has seniority," Cuddy replied like it was the end of conversation, and then sat down at her desk.

"You know as well as I do that House is more than capable of running the department on his own."

"Maybe, maybe not but Wilson, we have rules for a reason. If the patient found out that House was treating him with a suspended license..."

"It's in the process of being reinstated!" Wilson pointed out. "When House saves his life I don't see him suing. You're reaching, Cuddy. What is your problem anyway? It's almost as if..."

Cuddy glared at him and then quickly looked away.

Wilson blinked. "Oh, this is too funny. After all that happened between you two, you like him. _Really_ like him! And this is your way of controlling him. Well good luck with that. It's not going to work."

"I don't know what you're talking about. And I have a meeting in five minutes so..."

Wilson shook his head as he turned to leave. "Hope you know what you're doin..."

XXX

House stood in the middle of his conference room and looked around. It clearly hadn't been in use since he'd been gone and he wondered where everyone was. His attention was focused on a gift wrapped present on his desk. The name on the tag said Greg House, and the G was curly, much like Allison Cameron's handwriting. He was reaching for it when he heard a female voice from the doorway and the sound of a hammer being pulled back on a revolver.

"Step back."

The voice was definitely female but it held a certain air of authority that he held his hands up. "Identify yourself and keep your hands where I can see 'em."

"Identify myself? Are you kidding me?"

She was behind him so quickly her didn't even see her move. Her hands gripped his wrists and pulled his arms behind his back as she shoved him up against the glass wall. His cane fell to the floor with a loud clatter.

"I said...identify yourself, asshole," she hissed in his ear.

"I don't have to identify myself. This is _my_ office!"

Wilson had heard the commotion from his own office and came to investigate. He took in the tall, athletic woman with long red hair holding House against the wall.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"Who the hell are you?" The woman shouted at Wilson.

"I'm Dr. Wilson and _that_ is Dr. Gregory House."

The woman looked like she was going to die of utter embarrassment as other people came running to see what was going on. She took a step back and House shook her off.

"My mistake. I was called about a stalker. I saw you standing in this office and I thought you were the one leaving the present on the desk and I reacted."

House gave her a look of total contempt as he picked up his cane off the floor. "Great welcome home party, Wilson. I didn't even ask for a hooker. It's a nice change from the ties you've given me in the past."

The woman frowned and stiffened. "I am not a hooker, Dr. House. My name is Gabriella Toscano. I've been hired by Dr. Lisa Cuddy to protect you, and I'm going to do my job."

"Toscano..." House repeated. "Isn't that a restaurant in Little Italy?"

"I wouldn't know, nor do I care."

House turned to Wilson, and then Cuddy, who was now standing in his office. "House! What the hell?"

"What? Why are you looking at me like _I'm_ the one in trouble? She's the one who pulled a gun on me!" he said, pointing to Gabriella.

"I said I was sorry," she replied, not looking so. As she and Cuddy spoke, he took in her appearance.

Gabriella was tall, well-built, with several visible tattoos on her muscular arms. She wore all black, a leather vest and boots all the way up to her knees. If he didn't know better, he'd think she was a first-rate dominatrix. The only thing missing was her whip.

"You're early," Cuddy said to her. "You weren't supposed to be here until next week."

"My current job finished up earlier than planned. And since I had to fly across the country, I decided to just get started. Seems I can't start soon enough," she said as she pointed to the gift wrapped present on House's desk.

Cuddy froze. "That wasn't here this morning when I unlocked the doors."

"You don't say," Gabriella glared. "You hired me for my expertise. That's what I'm going to give you," she said as she picked up the box. She held it up to her ear. The ticking was very faint. "Everyone out. I need a full evacuation of this floor right now! Go!" she shouted at them as she unwrapped the box with care.

"What? You're bomb squad too?" House inquired as Wilson led him out of the office.

"Yeah, so move!" she shouted to him as she took the device out and examined it. It was clearly homemade, but it could do a fair amount of damage. She glanced at him and had to admire his bravery and tenacity.

"Know anything about bombs?" she asked him.

"Nope. But I know there's more to it than just cutting or not cutting wires. Just throw it out the window."

Before she could respond, he took it from her, with only ten seconds remaining, went out onto the patio, shouted "Hit the dirt!" and tossed it over the side.

"Are you Insane?" Gabriella shouted at him when he came back inside looking proud of himself.

"Nope. I had a good-bye party at Mayfield and everything. Certifiably _not_ insane."

"You could've killed someone!"

"But I didn't. It was third rate to say the least, not a landmine."

When she stood herself up to full height she was nearly as tall as House, but he wasn't intimidated.

"Let's get one thing straight, Dr. House. Dr. Cuddy hired me because for some crazy reason she wants you to be safe and I'm going to see to that. Someone wants to hurt you, but they're going to have to get through me first. Therefore, you don't go anywhere without me. Understood?"

"What if I need to take a leak?"

"What you do behind closed doors is your business, but if you try to evade me, or give me the slip at any time, we're done."

He looked down at her with his signature intimidating gaze but she didn't waver or blink as she stared back with defiance.

"This is gonna be fun," he said as he took a step back.

"I'm not here for fun, Dr. House."

"Just call me House." He pulled a dust cover from some of his furniture and sat down in his Eames chair. "So what do you think my stalker wants?"

"Revenge, to hurt you, any number of things. But from what Dr.'s Cuddy and Wilson have shown me, he or she means business. And I'm guessing it's someone in this hospital which means I'm going to be on you like a rash."

"Sexy. So, what? You're just going to sit in my office and watch me save lives? You can't sit in on the DDX."

"DDX?" she asked, looking confused.

"My doctor thing. There are regulations. Doctor/patient confidentiality and all that HIPAA mumbo jumbo. I may be an ass, but I do have an obligation. So you can sit in my office where you can still see me but that's it. Capisce?"

Gabriella nodded and House gave her a slight smile. "Italian?" he inquired.

"Yep."

"Me too. By birth only, though. My dad was stationed there at the time."

"Army brat?"

"Marines."

"My dad too," she smiled, finding relief in that she now had something in common with the man she was protecting. At least maybe now they had something to talk about besides who was trying to kill him. While she insisted on maintaining professionalism at all times, once in awhile she'd strike a bond with her client and things went much more smoothly all around.

However, she had no idea what she was in for.

* * *

_**A/N: So whaddya think so far? Yay or Nay?** _


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Looks like you guys enjoyed chapter one. That's good ;) I'm glad, and thanks for the comments :) Here's chapter 2. Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter Two**

Gaby, as House had come to call her, sat, mouth open, staring into the conference room as House shouted at the members of his team and berated each one individually. Well, almost all of them. He went the easiest on the pretty blonde with long hair, who didn't seem perturbed in the least. The other doctors looked embarrassed and ashamed of themselves for not coming up with the right answers or explanations as to why they lost their patient. He shot down each one of their ideas but seemed to favor the blonde, whom she later discovered was Dr. Allison Cameron.

Upon further investigation, she discovered that Dr. Cameron used to have, if not still, deep feelings for House, but was married to the too-pretty Australian doctor who sat next to her. Gaby didn't feel or notice any sparks between those two, but felt plenty between House and Dr. Cameron.

"Interesting," she thought to herself, and made a mental note to ask House's best friend Wilson about that later. She lucked out when she found Dr. Wilson in the cafeteria eating a salad and reading a medical journal.

"Do you mind if I sit here? All the other tables are full."

Wilson smiled at her. "Not at all, please," he said as he gestured to the empty seat across from him. "So how's it going? House isn't too much of a handful, I hope."

"You talk about him like he's a child."

"House can certainly be a man child now and then. Especially when he's forced into something he doesn't want to do. But you've been with him for a month now. What do you think?"

"I'm thinking we might have scared off his stalker. There haven't been any new letters or strange gifts since I got here. Normally one would assume they've moved on, and part of me wants to set a trap, disappear for awhile but not go too far, and see what happens."

"So why don't you?"

"I can't be in two places at once," she pointed out. "If I back off, and they try something, I've failed House. And I haven't lost anyone yet."

"I heard that about you. Best in your field. Ex-cop and all. I was honestly expecting to find out you were Secret Service."

Gaby chuckled. "Nah. I hate running alongside limousines. An armored tank couldn't put a dent in that thing, yet there they are, out there to make the President look good. It's purely for show."

"You seem to know quite a bit about that."

"I had a friend in the Secret Service once."

"Had?"

She nodded. "Lost. I like protecting people but a perk of my job is variety, moving from case to case. Can't do that with the President so much."

"No, I suppose not. House tells me you're a Military brat like him."

"He did, huh? What else did he tell you about me?"

"You're tenacious, fierce and swear like a longshoreman. I think he likes you."

"He likes Dr. Cameron," she said, almost wistfully.

Wilson's eyebrow shot up and she realized what she'd just said. "He likes her a lot. I can tell."

"She's married to Chase."

"But she loves House."

"She did, but then she gave up when she realized she couldn't have him."

"Why not?"

"House always figured he wasn't good enough for her and that she could do much better with Chase. Then he went to Mayfield and she married him. It was hard on him at first but he got over it. He even fell for a woman there, but nothing came of it."

"Lydia."

Again, Wilson looked surprised. "Well well. You seem to know quite a bit."

"It's my job to know. And what I do know is that his stalker is in this hospital. But let's keep that between us, shall we?"

"Does House know?"

"Yeah. I've been giving him more space, hoping he might trust me more. He has serious trust issues."

"Yes he does, and with good reason."

"Look, Wilson, I won't hurt him. I'm here to do my job."

"But you do like him, don't you?"

Gaby shifted in her seat and took a sip of her coffee that could easily be disguised as jet fuel.

"He's...interesting. And of course living with him in his apartment, in such close quarters has really put things in perspective. He's brilliant, gifted and he tells great stories. If I weren't working...sometimes I wonder if..."

Her pager went off and she checked it. It was a 9-1-1 from House. "Something's up. Gotta go."

She got up and practically ran out of the cafeteria. Wilson, only too curious, tossed the remains of his salad in the trash and followed her to House's office.

He was standing up, by the window looking out when she came in, Wilson in hot pursuit.

"What's the emergency?" she asked, looking around the room. Everything looked in order.

"That," he said, pointing to the box on his desk.

Gaby glanced at it. Another wrapped present. She carefully picked it up but it was light, almost as if it were empty, so she took the lid off and found a note. "Got any latex gloves?" she asked him.

"In the conference room on the shelf," he replied and then turned around. "What is it?"

"A note." She took it out of the box and read it. "She can't watch you every minute."

House's face went pale and he all but collapsed into his desk chair causing Gaby to glance over at him.

"House," she said as she crouched down in front of him and covered his hands with hers. They were shaking and it unnerved her a little. He always seemed so in control. "I'm going to keep you safe. I promise. And right now I'm thinking this hospital isn't the safest place for you to be right now."

"I can't stay home and hide in my apartment all damn day!" House snapped.

"I know that."

"And what am I supposed to do when I get a case?"

"You can do video conference. Look, I have to make some calls. Just stay where I can see you for now."

He nodded and watched her go into the conference room. She made a few calls and then Cuddy showed up.

"Since House doesn't have a case, he's free to go. If the team needs him, we can do a conference call."

Gaby smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Dr. Cuddy. I really hoped it wouldn't come to this, but I'm running out of options."

"I understand. Do what needs to be done and keep him safe. He's an asset to this hospital, hell, to the entire medical profession."

Gaby gave Cuddy a look, which Cuddy returned. "Do you have any idea how popular House is? How people rely on him? He's known all over the world. People have written, and even come from other countries just on the chance he'll take their case."

"Yes I know that. But surely there are other doctors who—"

"No, that's the thing. There are no other doctors who have been able to solve the cases he can. He has a brilliant mind."

"Yes, I can tell, but someone wants him dead, and until I can find out who it is, he's not safe here. I'm reasonably sure it's someone in this hospital. Male or female I haven't figured out as yet, but it doesn't matter because one way or another I'll get them."

"How can we reach House?"

Gaby wrote down a number. "Call this number. It can't be traced. So if you call him, even if the person has the equipment, they won't be able to find out where he is."

"That's good. Thank you," Cuddy said and smiled. "I know you'll take good care of him."

* * *

House woke up groggy and disoriented in the car. He glanced around and saw they were still driving. "Where are we, and where are we going?"

"Lotta questions," Gaby said as she drove, keeping her eyes on the road. "There's a cooler in the back with some cold drinks if you're thirsty. We'll be there in an hour."

House reached for it and extracted a Coke, cracked open the can and took a long sip. It was quite cold and he practically guzzled it in mere minutes.

"So are you going to tell me?" He prodded.

"Family's cabin in the woods. It's the safest place I could think of."

"Where are you going to be?"

"The place is big enough for the both of us. It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a living room. It also has a dock with a boat. Do you fish?"

House blinked. "Fish? Not since I was a kid when my dad took me."

"Well if you're bored and looking for something to do, there's that, if the weather cooperates."

"I'm not fishing. I don't do well with boats."

Gaby nodded, understanding an unsteady boat probably didn't go well with his bad leg. "I used to love fishing. My Grandpa taught me."

House snickered. "You stick a worm on a hook and drop it in the water. It's not rocket science."

"It's not that so much. It was just a peaceful time. Sitting back, getting some sun, enjoying the fresh air..." her voice trailed off when she realized he was no longer interested.

An hour later, the car pulled onto a gravel road and they drove another couple of miles until the approached the lake and a clearing with a large log cabin. "Well doesn't that look cozy? It's the kind of place Wilson would come to shag someone's wife."

Gaby laughed. "Dr. Wilson?"

"Yeah. You didn't know?"

"I heard things but I don't normally pay attention to gossip. Hospitals are notorious for it so unless I have proof I don't give it any credence."

"He didn't earn the nickname Panty Peeler of PPTH for nothing, ya know," House said as he opened the car door and got out. He saw that Gaby was still not convinced. "He's been married three times. Cheated on all three. Almost had a fourth but lost her in a bad bus accident a little over a year ago."

"Oh," was all she said as she took out her keys and unlocked the door. "I didn't know, but then I wouldn't because he's not the one I'm protecting."

The door opened into a very large kitchen area with updated appliances and a long table big enough for a dozen people.

"Nice," House said as he went to the fridge and started loading the groceries that they'd picked up along the way. Once they had everything put away, he wandered through the cabin and claimed the largest of the two bedrooms as his before finally settling into the swing on the deck out back.

"I see you've made yourself at home," Gaby said with a smirk as she stood against the porch railing holding a glass of ice water.

He glanced up at her and almost did a double take. Gone were the leather jacket, boots and various metal objects that made noise whenever she walked. Instead she wore a simple lavender T-shirt which showed off her ample chest, and slim blue jeans that hugged her narrow waist. It took everything in his power not to gawk at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she demanded, looking and feeling a little self conscious under his gaze.

"I'm not used to seeing you without your shit-kicker leather on."

"In case you haven't noticed, it's damn hot out here. But if it's worrying you, I am packing heat."

House grinned. "Don't tell me where. Let me guess."

Gaby returned the grin with one of her own and raised her glass. "Can I get you something?"

"Whatever you're drinking."

"Ice water it is," she said and started to go back inside but he raised his cane and blocked her way to the door.

"Ice water? Seriously?"

"This might seem like a vacation to you, Dr. House, but I still have a job to do. I need my wits about me at all times."

"Fair enough. Scotch for me, then."

"Sure," she said with a shrug and went inside, returning moments later with his drink. She gestured to the porch swing. "Do you mind?"

He scooted over. "The more the merrier," he said and rested his feet on the porch railing. "I could get used to this."

"Hopefully we won't be here too long and you can get back to doing whatever it is you do."

"Yes, saving lives is always a good thing."

"Don't all doctors do that?"

"Some do it better than others. Those who can't, send their lost causes to me."

"I read you spent some time at Mayfield."

House's back stiffened and he took a long swig of his scotch. "It was voluntary," he said, his tone was icy. "The boys in the white jackets didn't come and haul me off in a straightjacket."

"Six months is a long time to be away from doing what you love."

"I didn't have much of a choice."

"And you're okay now?"

"As good as can be expected," he muttered as he took another long sip. "I saw a guitar inside. Do you play?"

"No, it was my brothers."

"Was?"

Gaby nodded. "He was a Navy pilot. Went down in a blaze of glory, so they say. Saved two planes before he bought it."

House shook his head. "Sorry."

"It's fine. You didn't know. He taught me some chords once, years ago but I haven't played anything since. It was fun though. He had two guitars so we played together."

"I brought mine," he said. "We could have an impromptu jam session."

Gaby considered it and then giggled. "I think you'd lose your patience with me really fast."

"I'm a good teacher. I taught myself."

"Really? I've heard you play and you're pretty good."

He shrugs. "I'm not bad. I prefer the piano."

"You play that well too. I'm not very musically inclined so I just don't."

"It helps me unwind after a long day. You should try it. You seem very tense. You could do with a long, slow screw," he leered, wiggling his eyebrows for effect.

"I have a lot to be tense about," she said, and then glanced at him. "I don't sleep with my clients."

"Ever?"

"Never," she said it with such conviction that House couldn't help but wonder what the story was behind it.

"Well if you change your mind..." he said and chuckled softly when she got up and went inside, leaving him alone on the porch swing.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: I got stuck by serious writer's block, I had NO ideas for months. So I went back and tried a different idea and now this story is back on track again. I've revised this chapter quite a bit and I'm much happier with it. Chapter 4 will be along shortly, so enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter Three**

"_Are you behaving yourself?"_ Gaby's boss and good friend, Yolanda, inquired.

"Yes, ma'am." Gaby said with a deep sigh as she rolled her eyes.

"_Don't you be rolling your eyes at me, baby girl. You know damn well what I'm talkin 'bout."_

"I'm sorry, I don't think I do," she said in a sweet tone. "This is business."

"_Yeah. And here you are, fallin' for your client. How many times have we been over this?"  
_

"I am _not_ falling for him!" Gaby all but hissed into the phone.

"_Uh-huh. I know a fine piece of a man when I see one and that man is AAA Angus Beef."_

Gaby laughed. "How do you know what he looks like?"

_"I googled him. Wavy brown hair, green eyes, scruffy. I like it. And I think you do too."_

"That pic must've been old. His hair is super short and his eyes are blue."

"_Ah-ha! I knew it!"_

"Shut up, Yo," she laughed. "He's not my type. And besides, I have a boyfriend in case you've forgotten."

"_Is that what you're callin' him now? Boyfriend? I thought you took this job so you could get away from that sorry excuse for a man."_

"Yeah well, absence makes the heart grow fonder."

"_Yeah, and so does abstinence. And it's been awhile, hasn't it? You must be desperate if you're thinking about crawling into the sack with that clown. Now Dr. House on the other hand..."_

"Never you mind about that. Look, he'll be up soon. I gotta go start the furnace. This place is freezing. The cold makes his leg hurt."

"_Which leg?"_ Yolanda chuckled and then ended the call.

The cabin was freezing when House woke up. He was wrapped up in a cocoon of blankets and comforters but he could still feel the chill. It was an old cabin, after all, and most likely not properly insulated. It got very cold, especially if Gaby didn't get up early to start the wood stove which heated the place.

He could hear her from her bedroom next to his but the voice was muffled so much through the thick logs that he couldn't hear anything so he climbed back into his nest and waited. Fifteen minutes later, he heard her tossing kindling into the furnace and then he smelled the coffee.

"So what are we doing today?" House asked as they sipped coffee at the kitchen table.

"I don't know," Gaby said as she glanced out the window. "I think it's going to be a wet day so we'll probably be stuck inside again. You could teach me some new chords."

"Have you been practicing what I taught you the other night?"  
"Yep," she smiled, looking proud of herself. "We'll be able to do that duet after all."

"I heard singing the other night. Was that you or a CD?"

She looked down and blushed, to which House laughed. "So you do have a hidden talent? I figured as much. And for what it's worth, you sounded pretty good."

"Thanks. Your voice isn't so bad either."

He merely shrugged but their eyes locked for a few minutes before the phone rang. Seeing it was PPTH, he answered it, and Gaby watched him get up and limp down the hall to his room.

House had been in his bedroom talking to his team for half an hour and when he finally emerged, he was tired and annoyed. He made himself another cup of coffee, grabbed his guitar and went out to sit with Gaby on the patio. The heavy rain had turned into a drizzle and the clouds looked like they were trying to break up.

"Tough case?" she asked as she listened to him pluck a few notes.

"Tough enough. How much longer do we have to stay here?"

"Hopefully not much longer. I have undercover officers staking out your office to watch for anything or anyone out of the ordinary. I'll give it a few days and if nothing else happens, we'll return to PPTH."

He nodded. "Sounds good. Go get the guitar. I need the distraction."

She went inside to get it and returned, taking a seat across from him. They played a few songs to warm up, easy ones at first, but when he decided to test her, to see how much she actually practiced, he was impressed.

"Not bad. Your guitar needs tuning though. You're a little flat. Give it here."

Gaby handed it over and he quickly adjusted the tuning before handing it back to her. They played a few more songs and then the sun finally peaked through the clouds and the rain eventually stopped.

"I feel like taking the boat out," she said as she stood up and gave a cat-like stretch. "Wanna come for a ride?"

He looked at her like she was crazy at first, but the weather had improved enough to go out. "Sure. Why not?"

They went down to the dock and once House was settled, Gaby started the motor and they were off. After a ride to the other side of the lake, she turned the boat around and slowed it down. "I'm just gonna throw a line in for awhile if that's ok. It's too nice to go in just yet."

House shrugged. "Fine with me. Want me to steer?"

"Sure, if you don't mind."

They switched positions with her help and he watched her put a fly on the end of the line. "What, no worms?"

Gaby shook her head and laughed. "I haven't fished using worms in ages. The fly works just as well. Besides, I hate worms. Blek!"

It was House's turn to laugh at her expression. "I assume you made Grandpa put the worm on the hook?"

"Damn straight."

When she smiled at him, such as she did, it made House see her differently. He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about her that intrigued him. Over the last week they hadn't talked very much. He knew that in another few days they'd be heading back to Princeton and more than likely she'd leave and move onto her next assignment. Part of him filled with dread. He got used to having her around like a shadow over the last month. What was he going to do when she left?

"Earth to House," Gaby called to him, bringing him back to the present. "Where did you go just now?"

He shrugged. "Nowhere. Just thinking."

"What about?"

"I was thinking about the case."

"No you weren't."

He blinked at stared at her and she smiled knowingly. "You have a tell, House. I know when you're thinking about a case, you have a certain look and just now, that wasn't it. So spill."

He sat up a little straighter. "I don't want to bore you with my mundane thoughts."

"Nothing about you is mundane."

"The feeling is mutual," he replied as he held her gaze for as long as possible until the tip of her rod went down and she stood up.

"I've got one! Grab the net!" she shouted. "We're gonna have trout for dinner tonight, baby!"

House reached for the smaller one and Gaby rolled her eyes. "No, not that, the big one. This aint no stupid sunfish."

After some doing, House was able to get the net underneath it and bring the fish into the boat. He then watched in amazement as Gaby grabbed the fish bonker and gave it a good whack across the top of its head.

"Nighty-night, fella."

"Wow. You're...pretty good at that."

She took the hook out of its mouth, put it on the chain that was attached to the boat and dropped it back in the water.

"Gotta hit them on top where the brain is. Much easier and quicker."

They trolled along for another half hour until the boat made a strange noise and the engine conked out.

"What the...I just put gas in this thing the other day."

"Maybe it's an engine issue." But after several tries, the motor wouldn't turn over. "Time to start rowin," he said as he reached for the oars.

"Are you okay to row? It's a long way back."

House gave her a look. "I might be a cripple but I can row just as good as the next guy."

Gaby caught one more fish before she decided two was enough, and reeled in before House got them to the dock. She helped him out of the boat and back up the hill to the cabin. "I'm just going to go clean these in the fish house. I'll be back in ten minutes."

He grabbed a beer from the fridge and gave her a wave of dismissal. As promised, she returned with two cleaned fish and put them in the fridge for the time being. "It suddenly got cold out there."

"Want me to start a fire?"

"Sure. It'll keep the place warm."

Gaby watched him build a decent fire before settling back on the couch next to her.

"Done. So trout for dinner then?"

"Yeah. Unless you have other ideas?"

"Nah it's fine. It's been years since I've eaten it."

House grabbed his guitar and began to strum some chords before launching into Neil Young's _Harvest Moon_. His voice was soft as he sang the words and Gaby smiled.

"I always did love this song," she said as she picked up her own guitar and strummed along. House nodded and she even sang along with him for some parts until they finished the tune.

"Know any Paul McCartney?" she asked him as she plucked a few notes.

"Those are sappy," he chuckled. "But you go right ahead," he said as he sat back and listened to her sing. "That was an easy one," he said when she was done. "But you sounded good."

"I'm no Paul though," she giggled.

"Who is?"

"Good point." Gaby yawned and stretched. "It's not that late but I can't keep my eyes open. I think I'm going to turn in."

"G'night," House said, not looking up as he strummed some chords.

"Gnight," she replied as she started to walk out of the room. Glancing back, she saw him watching her, but when he realized he'd been caught, he lowered his head again and started to sing _Goodnight Irene_."

Gaby couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face as she closed the door to her bedroom and leaned back against it.

"Get a grip," she muttered to herself, feeling rather warm. Of course, that feeling changed to guilt when Lucas's face crossed her mind. It tended to do that when she started thinking about Greg House in ways that she shouldn't. But then, they were just thoughts, weren't they? Totally harmless.

She could still hear him playing in the living room, his voice soft as he strummed the chords.

_I met a girl I couldn't get her off my mind._

_I met a girl, couldn't get her off my mind._

_She passed me up, sayin' she didn't like my kind._

Gaby giggled at the lyrics and reached for her nightie. She'd never heard the song before but she liked hearing him sing it and she found herself leaning against the door so she could continue to listen as she unbuttoned her shirt.

_I was scared to bother 'round her house at night._

_I was scared to bother 'round her house at night._

_She got a police dog and he's spoilin' for a fight._

His voice was pretty smooth, and he took on a bit of a southern drawl as he sang it which she liked. His voice was usually deep and sexy when he spoke, but when he sang, it completely changed. She wasn't sure which she liked better but either way, it was affecting her.

Lucas never played an instrument. Hell, he couldn't even carry a tune. He was just a cop, like she once was. He had no time for that. His job always came first and he made sure she knew that.

Gaby sighed as the shirt dropped to the floor and her hand moved up to the clasp at the front of her bra. House was singing another tune now, something a little quicker, but it was about a woman again.

She closed her eyes and imagined her hand was House's, unhooking her bra and sliding down to her pants to loosen the string.

_Shadows fall upon the wall, _

_that's the time I miss your kisses most of all._

_Even though I try, how can I go on?_

_Oh evenin', let me sleep till glow of dawn is breakin'._

_I don't care if I don't awaken._

_Since my baby's gone._

Her loose pants slid down her legs to a heap on the floor and she quickly stepped out of them while her hand slid inside her underwear. Then she froze. She could hear him moving around the cabin, most likely turning lights off and making sure doors were locked and then she heard the familiar step-thump of his cane coming down the hall past her room.

She turned off the light and dove under her covers, holding the blankets up to her chin as he paused outside her door. When he continued onward, she let out the breath she didn't even know she'd been holding and closed her eyes.

"Get a grip, Jesus," she whispered to herself in the dark as she stared up at the ceiling. "You have a boyfriend."

As comforting as that should've been, it was anything but. Lucas was not what Gaby would call a good lover. In fact, if she was honest with herself, he was quite selfish.

Somehow she knew that a certain doctor in the room down the hall would know what he was doing. Oh yeah, she thought as her hand found its way to her panties once more. He would definitely know his way around the female body. Those long fingers that played the guitar would most definitely be skilled. A little callused maybe, but that would only add to the excitement.

As her fingers did the walking, she wished she'd packed some of the items in her "goody" drawer back home. Items that almost caused a breakup between her and Lucas because he was intimidated by a mere piece of silicone. It wasn't her fault it was bigger than he was!

A smile crossed her face as she thought back to that argument a few months before.

"_I gotta go to the station early in the morning," Lucas said. "You might as well go home. I'm too tired to drive you, though. Cab fare's on the table."_

"_Wow. You make it all seem so cheap."  
_

_"Hey, it beats a vibrator."_

"_Oh yeah?" She said as she struggled to get dressed. "Well at least a vibrator gets me off!"_

Gaby was close. Her hand moved faster as she thought of it being Greg's hand, stroking, circling as she imagined his scruff scraping her skin while he took a nipple into his mouth. Her imagination was always very good, and her thoughts brought her over the edge to where she was panting and coated with a thin layer of sweat.

"Oh sweet Jesus am I in trouble," she sighed as she closed her eyes and fell into a deep, but very satisfying sleep.

* * *

**_Songs inspiring the chapter: (All sung by Hugh of course!)_**

**_Goodnight Irene_**

**_Police Dog Blues_**

**_Evenin'_**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The lake was smooth as glass by the time House sat on the patio with his coffee. The air was heavy and sweet-smelling from the rain and House frowned. It was muggy. All the rain just made the heat wet and his thigh was not happy. Gaby was in the kitchen when he got his coffee but she barely looked at him and when she did, he could've sworn she was blushing. He had no idea what that was about but he was definitely going to find out. After he finished his coffee, he got up and went back inside. She was talking on her cell to someone in her room and had it on speaker. From the sounds of it she was talking to a man and he frowned, but hung back and listened anyway.

"_When are you wrapping this case up? You've been away forever,"_ the man whined.

"I don't know. Soon. Since when do you care how long it takes?"

"_I googled the guy. He's known for being a prick. He better be nice to you."_

Gaby laughed. "Or what, Lucas? Gonna beat him up?"

"_If I have to. But then, he is a cripple so it would be pretty easy to take him down."_

"Oh please. He might have a bad leg and a cane but I have no doubt he knows how to use it. He's at least three inches taller than you and in much better shape. Grow the hell up, Lucas. I don't know what you're getting so uptight about. It's my job. I'm protecting him just like I do everyone else. You're just pissed off because it's a man this time. And we're all alone...in the woods."

House almost laughed out loud. Was she baiting him?

"_Remember the last guy you protected who put the moves on you?"_

"I proved that I can take care of myself, as you know. Greg House is a good guy. Cranky, yes, but a good guy. So back off. I'll be done when I'm done." And with that, she ended the call and he quickly moved away from the door, going back to the kitchen to get another cup of coffee for himself. He grabbed a medical journal and took it into the living room to read and Gaby joined him at the other end of the couch.

"Bad news?" he asked her, trying to sound casual.

She glanced over at him. "What?"

"I was passing by and couldn't help but overhear."

Gaby pursed her lips together. "You were eavesdropping. Shame, shame."

House shrugged. "It's what I do. So what's the deal? Jealous boyfriend?"

"He can be a little over protective of me at times."

"So I heard. But really, what do you have in common with that guy?"

"Why are you so interested?"

"Just curious," he grinned. "Well?"

"What's it to you?"

"Why are you deflecting?"

"Because it's none of your business, that's why."

"Are you in love with him?"

Gaby laughed again. "That's _definitely_ none of your business."

"Well that answers that."

She looked confused. "I'm sorry?"

"If you were in love with him, you would've answered the questions. But instead you're fighting me on them." Seeing that she was getting angry, he held up his hands in a surrender. "Hey, it's none of my business, you're right. But from what I heard of that phone conversation, he is so not your type."

"Oh and you think you know what my type is?" Gaby challenged.

"I know it's not that guy. You need someone...more independent. Who understands your job and knows how good you are at it."

"Do you know such a guy?"

"They're hard to find. But...now that I know what you're after I'll keep an eye out."

Gaby smiled sweetly. "Would you?"

"Absolutely."

X X X

House drained his glass of wine and glanced over at her. It had been a weird day. After their chat that morning, it was like he'd flicked a switch inside of her and she seemed to be more open to talking. There was even a, dare he admit it, flirtatious air about her. It confused and amused him at the same time and so he decided to see how far she was willing to go with it.

"So what are you going to do once you've caught my stalker?"

"Take a long break," she said as she leaned back as well and crossed one leg over the other. "I haven't had a vacation in ages. I guess this could sort of be considered one but I need a real one. I need to go someplace and recharge."

"When was the last time you took a vacation?"

"Three years ago."

"Wow. No wonder you're so tense."

"Yeah I just kept going from client to client, not even considering a break. Being up here has made me realize I need a break. Possibly a permanent one."

House blinked. "You're quitting?"

"I didn't say that. I'll probably just take a sabbatical."

"I get that. I have tons of vacation time saved up that I haven't taken."

"Why haven't you?"

He shrugged. "Like you, just haven't thought about it. Been too busy. But maybe once this is over, I'll take some time."

"Where would you go?"

"I dunno. Somewhere Cuddy couldn't find me."

"What's up with you two, anyway?"

"Nothing. She's my boss."

"Yeah but I detect a...I guess an undercurrent."

"We were in college. Spent one night together and then I got kicked out of school for cheating and didn't see or hear from her again until years later."

"Interesting you've been able to stay such good friends. Some say that you guys don't argue, that it's foreplay."

He shrugged and looked away. "That ship sailed long ago."

"I see. And what about Dr. Cameron?"

House laughed. "What is this? The board of inquiry?"

Gaby blushed and looked away. "I was just curious. She likes you."

"She's married to Chase."

"I know but she still likes you."

"Even if she wasn't with him, nothing would've come of it. She's twenty years younger than I am."

"You don't seem the type of guy to be hung up on an age difference."

"Depends on how big a difference. Twenty years is a lot."

"How old do you think I am?"

House looked at her, and she felt small under his scrutinizing gaze. "Maybe...ten years younger than me, but probably more. You have good skin, makes it hard to tell," he grinned as he reached out and gently touched her cheek. Then he drew his hand back as if he'd come to his senses and looked away, back at the lake.

They sat out for about an hour while he entertained and impressed her with his knowledge of the constellations, showed her a planet and pointed out the satellites that were going across the sky.

"Where did you learn all this?" she asked him.

"Rocks for Jocks in high school, except I paid attention."

"Rocks for Jocks?" Gaby laughed.

"Yeah you know, Earth Science. The electives that the jocks take because they're too dumb for anything but that and metal shop."

"Ohhh okay. That makes sense then. So why did you take it?"

"I needed an extra credit that wouldn't bore me to death. What about you? What was your favorite class?"

"Chemistry. I sucked at it, but I enjoyed it."

"Why did you suck?"

"I'm bad at math," she said with a slight smirk.

After awhile it got too cold and they retreated inside where House started a small fire to warm the place up for the evening.

He then went back to his room to read but he was restless beyond belief. It was just after eleven and he knew there was a pub a few miles down the road so he got changed and poked his head outside the bedroom door. Gaby had fallen asleep on the couch with her book in hand. Grabbing the throw blanket, he placed it over her, grabbed the keys from the kitchen counter and quietly let himself out.

* * *

It was a simple pub with an Irish theme but it was clean and had a friendly vibe when House limped through the door. "Evenin'" the bartender called to him as he wiped down his bar. "What'll ya have?"

"I'll start with whatever you've got on tap that's good."

The bartender poured him a pint of dark ale and slid it over. "Cheers."

House raised his glass before taking a long sip. It was the perfect temperature and bitterness. He glanced around at the few patrons who were playing pool or simply enjoying a late snack and conversation over drinks. "Is it usually this quiet on a Saturday?"

"It's late for folks around here but we have our regulars. Haven't seen you around these parts though."

"I'm staying at the cabin. With Gaby. You probably know her."

The bartender smirked. "Oh yeah, I know her."

When House arched an eyebrow, the man chuckled more. "Not in the way you think. We grew up together, you could say. Her family used to come up here. My folks had a mobile home and hers owned the cabin. Damn shame what happened there. I'm surprised she came back here at all, least of all with someone else." The man looked House up and down. "You're not her type."

Now House's interest was piqued and he leaned across the bar. "So what's the skinny?"

"It's not my place," he said and went back to cleaning his drinkware.

"Oh please. You're obviously dying to tell me whatever it is so give it up."

"Look mister..."

"Doctor."

"Fine, _Doctor_. I've known Gaby a long time and if she hasn't told you anything then she doesn't want you to know."

"If you don't tell me I have ways of finding out myself. Especially if it means trouble for her."

"Not trouble so much as bad memories."

"Of what?"

"Not what. Whom."

House waved his hand, urging the man to continue. "Go on..."

The man looked around and leaned closer. "Has she shown you the basement?"

He cocked his head to one side. "What basement? There's a basement?"

"Yeah. It used to be her husband's study. They lived here for a few years when they were first married."

For reasons House couldn't explain, he felt deflated, but he kept his expression neutral. "She was married?"

"Yeah. Years ago. He was shot in cold blood. Rumor has it that it was someone she put in a cage and they got out."

"Jesus."

"Yeah. And she was the one who discovered him. She wasn't the same after that. Became married to her work and I never saw her again until her Mother's funeral a few years back."

* * *

House felt like he was in some kind of time capsule from the early 90s. There were cassette tapes and CDs lying everywhere, framed photos of people he didn't know and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. Clearly nobody had been in that room in a long time and that intrigued him. Then he looked down and saw the noticeable stain on the floor. It was long and wide but very much faded, like it had been scrubbed to death. But one can never really get rid of blood once it seeps into hardwood. Now it just smelled musty and there was an odd chill in the air. As he wandered around the small room, he took a look at the various pictures, recognizing Gaby in most of them. She was young, pretty and looked so alive. There were wedding and what looked to be honeymoon pictures of the blushing bride. He snickered, wondering if she was a virgin on her wedding night.

Gaby slowly woke up and glanced around. It was much past midnight and the cabin was freezing. She was about to head to bed when she heard a creaking floorboard below her and she froze. She quietly tiptoed to her bedroom and withdrew her weapon from under her pillow and made her way down to the basement. The door was wide open and the light was on, dim as it was.

"Freeze, asshole!" she said, aiming her weapon, but she lowered it when she saw House standing there, frozen in place. "God damnit, House!" she moaned. "What are you doing down here?"

"I felt a draft," he lied as he continued to look at the various pictures on the wall and on a nearby desk. "I was trying to figure out where it was coming from and it led me here. What is all this?" he asked as he picked up a dusty frame and examined it. "Is this you?"

She stalked over to him and tried to snatch it out of his hand. "You have no right to go snooping where you don't belong."

He held the picture out of her reach. "Au contraire. I seem to recall you saying "make yourself at home" when we arrived here. To me, that means I have free reign. Funny, when you gave me the ten cent tour, you missed this room completely. And since I'm a curious kinda guy, I had to check it out."

"Well you don't need to be down here and it's none of your business so just leave!" she shouted as she got in his face, and then she paused. "Have you been...you went out?"

He shrugged. "I went to the bar down the road. I was thirsty. And your old friend, the bartender, was very chatty."

Her eyes widened. "You talked to Mike?"

"Is that his name?"

"Then you drove back here?" She stepped closer and sniffed. "God, and you smell like a brewery!"

"Oh please. I only had a few," he groaned. "And you still haven't answered my question."

"I don't care if you had a dozen! You shouldn't have been driving. Hell, you shouldn't have gone out at all!"

"What's the problem? We're in the middle of nowhere. Nobody knows where we are."

"We don't know that!"

"Now you're just being paranoid."

"I am not! Greg, listen to me..."

"Oh so now it's _Greg_? You must be _really_ pissed," he said, amusement in his eyes.

"You should've at least told me you wanted to go out. I would've gone with you."

"I don't need a chaperone, thank you very much," he said, folding his arms across his chest like a petulant child.

Gaby stood up straighter. "Fine. When we get back to Princeton, I'm done."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah! So start packing. We're leaving in the morning." She reached up and snatched the picture away and put it back on the desk without even a glance. "Now get out. This room is off-limits."

He walked past her and she locked the door behind them.

By the time House reached his bedroom, he was exhausted. Taking an extra dose of Advil, he undressed for bed, climbed in and fell asleep once the pain in his leg eased off.

Gaby, on the other hand, wasn't having as much luck falling asleep. She tossed and turned until she fell into a light doze until morning, waking up in a cold sweat upon discovering her husband's body lying in a pool of his own blood, eyes still open and glazed over as they stared into space.

"Steven!" she shouted as she sat up in bed and looked around frantically. She relaxed a little upon the realization that it had just been a dream but the fact that she was at the cabin didn't help very much. She gave her head a shake, got dressed and finished packing the rest of her things.

House was already in the kitchen having coffee when she came into the room and headed straight for the machine.

"Who's Steven? Your late husband?"

She paled at the mention of his name and turned away to pour her coffee. "Fuck off," she muttered.

"Ooo hostile this morning," he said before he smiled into his coffee.

"Are you packed? I want to get out of here."

He looked over at her, really studied her, and he became concerned. She was still pale, which accentuated the dark circles under her eyes even more. She looked completely drained and exhausted, not the tough as nails woman he'd come to know over the past several weeks.

"Yeah," he said as he got up and limped past her towards his bedroom where he packed the rest of his things and helped her lock up the cabin.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: ****Sorry about the del****ay in posting this. I've had it finished for ages but life's been busy. Anyway, I've gotten ahead a few chapters so I'll try and post more often now.**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

"I'll find a replacement as soon as I can. I just...House won't cooperate and I refuse to waste my time on him when I could be legitimately helping someone else."

"Oh!" Cuddy's eyes shot up. "Then you didn't hear."

"Hear what?"

"They caught House's stalker. It was a member of our staff whose been here for only a little while. Can you believe it?"

Gaby blinked. "Nobody called me. When did this happen?"

"Just yesterday. He was caught breaking into House's apartment. He admitted to everything. Said when House didn't come to work he became worried that something was wrong and he wanted to make sure he was okay."

Gaby shook her head. "Who was it?"

"Nurse Jeffrey."

"Really? Are you sure he wasn't just a decoy?"

"We're sure. He was obsessed with House. Had a shrine in a janitor's closet in the basement right under our noses and we never knew it."

"I knew it had to be someone at this hospital, and I knew it would only be a matter of time before they tripped themselves up. It's a wonder House didn't suspect."

"I think he might've had his suspicions as to who, but wasn't satisfied until he had the why. And when things escalated, he got legitimately scared for his safety.

Cuddy nodded in understanding. "What will you do now?"

"I'm going back to work at the department for awhile until I pick up a new assignment. You have my number. If you need me, I'm just a phone call away. Can you wish House good luck for me?"

"Why not do it yourself?"

"He's not here yet, it's before ten," Gaby said, a slight smirk on her lips.

"No, he's here. I saw him cross the lobby just five minutes ago."

Gaby looked at the floor. "I'd rather not if it's all the same to you." Then she extended her hand for Cuddy, who shook it firmly. "Thank you. I'm glad everything worked out." And with that, she turned and walked out of the office.

XXX

House groaned when he heard the click of Cuddy's heels on the linoleum outside and she did not look happy when she entered the conference room where he stood at the whiteboard.

"Just like old times," he said with a wistful sigh. "And yes, before you say anything, I know the coast is clear. So if that's all, I have a case."

"My office when you're done," she said as she began to leave. "And then I want you in the clinic."

"Yes, Mistress."

House finished up the DDX, sent the team to run tests and then retreated to Cuddy's office, running into Wilson along the way.

"Lunch? I've saved my money all week since you've been away," Wilson chuckled. "Where are you going?"

"I've been summoned. I'll meet you in the cafeteria at noon."

"Done deal," Wilson said with a nod and they parted once out of the elevator.

House limped past Cuddy's receptionist and threw open the double doors. "Make it quick. There's a reuben with my name on it."

"What the hell happened this week, House?"

He blinked. "What? When?"

"Where did Gaby take you?"

He shrugged. "Some cabin that belonged to her family out in the middle of nowhere. Nice place."

"So what happened between you two? She came to see me this morning and she looked horrible."

"How the hell should I know?"

"House..."

"What? I didn't do anything."

"No?"

"You weren't the reason she brought you back to Princeton?"

"The coast was clear, I was told."

"Yeah but she didn't know that until I told her about this morning. Something happened. What?"

"I don't know!" he shouted back. "Who cares? She's gone back to...wherever. Said something about wanting a vacation." Then he turned around to leave.

"She told me to wish you luck. Why wouldn't she feel the need to tell you herself?"

"Again, how would I know? Or care? I'm going to the clinic."

"She liked you, House."

"Did she?"

"Yeah she did. And you can stop pretending because I know you liked her, or else you would have tried everything you could to get out of her way.

"It doesn't matter. She has a boyfriend and she claims I'm not her type. So, is that all before I'm to be banished to the clinic?"

"Yes, that's all."

XXX

After putting in a couple of hours in the clinic, House met Wilson. "Care to do a little..recon after lunch?"

Wilson narrowed his eyes. "What, or who are we doing the recon for?"

"My fearless bodyguard of course. I discovered a few things the other night and I want to keep digging."

"Why?"

"Because something happened at that cabin years ago and it's my latest puzzle."

"Why, House? Can't you just let it be?"

House gave him a look. "How long have you known me? I just need another pair of eyes to help me look up info on the net."

"Ooookay. And what are we looking for exactly?"

"What happened in Cooksburg in July of 2000. I didn't get much out of the bartender who worked at the pub nearby, but I saw plenty in the basement at the cabin. Now it's just a matter of finding out what happened." House took a piece of paper out of his jacket and shoved it towards Wilson. "Here's the date of their marriage. Her husband was shot a few years later and she found his body."

"Jesus, House," Wilson said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "You really think finding out what happened is going to be any help? I mean, why do you care?"

"I care because we were actually having a good time, getting to know each other and then when she found me in the basement, she completely shut down. I just want to know. If whoever shot her husband is still around..."

"That was years ago though," Wilson pointed out. Do you really think he'd wait this long to come after her?"

"I don't know. But the other day she was on the phone to some guy named Lucas she claimed was her boyfriend. I wanna find out who that is too."

"I have a bad feeling about this. Sometimes it's better to just let the past rest."

"And sometimes not doing anything can cause more harm than good. I have to at least figure out what's going on with her. If it's nothing, then fine, I'll move on."

"And if it's something?" Wilson asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

"Then we help her."

"We? Who's we?"

"Who do you think, genius?"

XXX

Gaby let herself into House's apartment to pack up the rest of her things left behind before they fled to the cabin. As she closed the door behind her, she heard the bathroom door open and the familiar step-thump of House's cane on the hardwood floor.

She gasped when House emerged wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, and his hair dripping wet.

"Well," he chuckled as he used a second towel to dry his hair. "This is...an unexpected surprise."

Gaby tried looking anywhere but at him, a slight blush tinted her cheeks. "I just came to get the last of my things. I didn't think you'd be here."

"Apparently," he said as he tossed aside the towel he'd used to dry his hair. "Do you have everything? I'd hate for you to have to come back. Since you obviously want nothing to do with me or want to see me."

"I'm sure you heard they arrested Nurse Jeffrey."

"I heard. Wasn't a surprise. The guy was weird. So I guess you're going back to...wherever?"

"Not right away. I have some loose ends to tie up here before I go back."

"Where are you staying?"

"Does it matter?"

House rolled his eyes."There you go again, deflecting." Then he cocked his head to one side and moved past her, reaching for her Starbucks ceramic travel mug on the coffee table. "You almost forgot this." Then he smiled at it.

"What's so funny?" she asked him.

"It was right in front of your face, and yet you missed it. One could only assume you did it subconsciously," he said as he took a couple of steps closer to her. "People usually "forget" things so they have to come back for them."

Gaby took the offered mug and stared at him. "You think I wanted to come back here? Shows what you know."

"Then why did you?" he asked, taking one more step closer, causing her to step back.

"So I could get the rest of my stuff!"

"And you did it at a time when you thought I wouldn't be here. Makes me think you were desperately trying to avoid me."

Just then, her cell phone rang and she took it out of her inside jacket pocket. After she glanced at the display, she shoved it in her back pocket. "I have to go," she said sharply and turned away from him. "If I've forgotten anything, you can send it to the Hilton. I'll be there until next week." She picked up her bag and tossed him the key to his apartment. "Good luck, Greg."

And with that, she was gone. And he was alone once more.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: I'm glad you're all still with me and enjoying this story. Let the roller coaster ride begin!**_

**Chapter Six**

Gaby sat quietly across from Lucas outside a small cafe. "You didn't have to come all the way out here to see me, you know," she said as she sipped her coffee. "I'll be back in LA at the end of the week."

Lucas sent her his most charming smile as he reached over and placed his hand over hers. "I know, but I missed you."

His fingers were chubby yet very nicely manicured, unlike Dr. House's that were rough and long, and she slid her hand out from under his.

"Lucas, we need to talk."

"Sure, what about?"

"I don't...I can't..."

"Well look who's here," a very familiar voice called out and she closed her eyes and cursed under her breath. "If it isn't my favorite bodyguard."

Lucas stood up and faced House for the first time. He was definitely much shorter than House's tall, rangy stature and he puffed out his chest a little to make himself appear a little more threatening.

"You must be the infamous Dr. House. I've heard your name," Lucas said as he extended his hand.

House shook it as he sized up the smaller man. "Most people have. It's also a noun."

"Was there something I can do for you, Greg?" Gaby inquired, trying to keep her cool but there was a slight hint of mischief in her eyes that House recognized right away. _So she wanted to play a little? He could get down with that._

"As a matter of fact there is," he said and reached into the black canvas bag he carried. He produced a music book. "You left this at my apartment," he lied, giving her a sexy grin.

Gaby's eyes widened. It was a music book full of the same blues songs she heard him singing at the cabin. "Oh, I was wondering where that went. Thanks. But you didn't have to bring it to me. You could've left it with the hotel concierge."

"I didn't want it to get misplaced and I thought you'd be missing it."

She took the book from him, but his fingers lingered over hers a little longer than they should have, long enough for Lucas to notice. Then he let go.

"Thank-you, Greg."

"You're welcome," House said with a smile.

Lucas looked from Gaby to House and then back to Gaby before clearing his throat. "Yes, well, I'm sure the good doctor has better things to do than deliver old music books." He took the book from Gaby and leafed through it. "Don't you have patients to see or...something?"

House gave Lucas a wicked grin. "I don't see patients, they see me." Then he turned, winked at Gaby and limped away.

When they sat back down, Lucas glared at her. "What the hell was that?"

"What was what?"

"That! With Dr. House! You calling him Greg..."

"That's his name. And when you're having to work that closely with someone for an extended length of time, formalities tend to fly out the window."

"Did you sleep with him?"

Gaby's jaw dropped. "What? No!"

"I think you did. Why else would he track you down to give you some stupid music book?"

"Because it's mine, and because he was being nice."

"From what I've heard, he's anything but nice."

"Right, so why the hell would I want to sleep with him? You're reaching, Lucas."

He reached for her hand again. "Can't we just go? Back to LA? Get back to normal? I missed you."

"Well here's the thing," Gaby said as she drained her cup and set it down. "I didn't miss you. I don't think we have enough in common to make this work any longer. It would be better for us to just walk away."

"So you can walk right into his arms?" Lucas hissed. "You don't think I noticed him touching you as he gave you that book?"

Gaby sighed. "I'm not interested in him the way you think. I don't get involved with the people I'm protecting. You know that, and how long have we known each other?"

"A long time. Which is why I don't understand why you want to end it. I thought we had a good thing going."

"We did but...it's not working for me anymore. I'm sorry. I just need a break."

"We could take one together. It would be good for us. Put the spark back."

Gaby shook her head and stood up. "There never was a spark, Lucas. I'm sorry. I have to go."

"Gabriella..."

"It's no use. I need to take some 'me' time for awhile. If you respect me, you'll leave me alone and let me do that." She then grabbed her purse and left the cafe.

* * *

Three days later, Gaby entered Yolanda's office and closed the door, leaning back against it as she closed her eyes.

"What's with you, girl? Someone chasing you?"

"You could say that. I need to get out of here."

"And go where?"

"I don't know. Away. Out of the state...hell, out of the country. Just somewhere away from him. Them."

Yolanda looked worried and she stood up from behind her desk. She was a very striking figure with long spiral curls and dark eyes that matched her skin tone. She helped Gaby into a chair and then poured them each a cup of coffee from the Keurig machine.

"Relax, Gaby and tell me what's going on with you. And who's _them_?"

"Greg...Lucas. Especially Lucas. He just won't go away. He's like a stray dog that follows you home."

"And Greg would be...Doctor House?"

"Yeah. He's kept his distance, but Yo, the looks he gave me..." she sighed and started ringing her hands. "He's part of the reason I left Lucas. I realized that he's not what I want. Hasn't been for some time. But I stayed with him because I didn't want to be alone and I didn't want to hurt his feelings."

"And what of Dr. House?"

"We like each other. Or rather, I know he likes me but I promised myself to never get involved with the people I protect."

"Always a good policy but Gaby," Yolanda said as she placed her hand on Gaby's shoulder, "he's not your client anymore."

She looked up at her friend and sighed. "So what am I supposed to do? Call him up and say "hey Greg, I'm single again, wanna go out?"

"Sure, why not?"

She shook her head. "No, it wouldn't work out. He's married to his profession just like Lucas is. The way Steven was."

"Steven was a good man. And if he hadn't been murdered in cold blood, you'd be with him still to this day. So don't be usin' that as an excuse." Yolanda went back to her desk and sat down. "I'm giving you some time off. A month. If you need longer, let me know, but you need a break. And as for Lucas, you did the right thing."

Gaby nodded and left the office. Unsure what to do, she knew she needed to get away from Lucas so she started packing.

X X X

"I think I've got something," Wilson said as he poked his head in the door of House's office.

"Huh?"

"Info about Gaby's husband's murder."

"Well don't just stand there! Get in here!"

Wilson tossed a file on House's desk. "I've highlighted all the good parts. I don't think you're going to like this. I made a call to someone I know at the Sheriff's office in Cooksburg. He knew quite a bit about the investigation and had his own suspicions."

"And?"

"He thinks whoever killed Steven Toscano was in love with Gaby but there wasn't enough evidence. He said that the first cop on scene was a good friend of Gaby's and it was just too coincidental. And here's the kicker, he's still on the force, but not in this state."

"Let me guess. California?" House said with a wince.

Wilson blinked. "How did you know?"

"Is there a picture?"

"Yeah...it's here somewhere," Wilson said as he leafed through the papers and found it. "Here. Lucas Hawking."

It was Lucas alright. The very same guy Gaby was with when he saw her a week ago. House felt like he was going to be sick. "Son of a bitch," he said and opened his desk drawer for Gaby's business card that he lifted from Cuddy's office.

He called the number on the card and Yolanda answered.

"I'm looking for Gabriella Toscano."

"I'm sorry, she's not taking any clients right now, sir. She's on vacation."

"Did she say where?"

"Who's speaking?"

"It's Gregory House."

"Oh, Doctor House, I've heard a lot about you."

"Can we skip the formalities? I'm trying to find Gaby. Do you happen to know where she went?"

"I'm sorry, I don't. I can make some calls and check. Is it important?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On whether she knows that she's been involved with her husband's murderer all these years."

There were a few seconds of silence. "Are you on the level?"

"I've been doing a little investigating of my own."

"That son of a bitch, Lucas," Yolanda hissed. "I never had a good feeling about that smarmy little creep. I'll see if I can get a hold of Gaby. Where can I reach you?"

House rattled off a couple of numbers. "Don't let her know I called. If she's with him I don't want to scare her."

"She won't be. She broke it off a week ago before she went on holidays. But nobody's seen any sign of him either. It's like he just took off."

"Perfect. Keep me posted."

"Will do," she said and ended the call.

"So what now?" Wilson asks House.

"I don't know. I need to think. She and I talked about taking vacations but she never said where she would go."

Then he had an idea and called Chase into his office. "Do you still have the private number you used to reach me while I was hiding out?"

Chase thought about it. "Yeah it would still be stored in the phone's memory. I'll get it."

"Do you really think she'll tell you where she went?"

"You won't know till you ask," House said as he handed the slip of paper that Chase gave him to Wilson.

"Oh no," Wilson said as he shook his head. "I'm not calling her."

"She'll be more likely to tell you where she is than me."

"I doubt it. Just call her, House."

House sighed in defeat and held out his hand. "Fine, give me the number."

He dialed, and waited. He was about to hang up when she answered. "Greg?"

"How did you know it was me?"

"Only a few people have this number. Why are you calling it?"

"I heard you were on vacation. Anywhere good? I've been thinking about going away myself."

She chuckled and he could hear people in the background. She sounded like she was in a restaurant or a coffee shop.

"That depends on your interpretation of good."

"Quid pro quo, Clarice," He said as he walked into his office and closed the door behind him. "Are you alone?"

"You mean, is Lucas here? No, I broke it off last week. Why are you calling me, Greg?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I was worried?"

"About what?"

"Lucas."

"What about him?"

"He killed your husband."

There was silence. "No. That's impossible."

"It all fits. The bullet matched the type he used in his department issue. He was the first on scene when you called it in. That's just a little too convenient, isn't it?"

"Where are you getting all this?"

"I'm good at solving puzzles. So, does he know where you are?"

"I hope not. But then, Yolanda doesn't know either. What do you want from me, Greg?"

He sighed and took a seat at his desk. "Where are you?"

There was hesitation. "If I tell you, you're going to decide you need a vacation here, aren't you?"

"I don't know yet. If you're in some third world country, I'll pass. And you can enjoy your vacation solo."

"I'm not in a third world country. Answer me this first. Do you...like me, Greg?"

"I thought it was obvious. I gave you my favorite music book. We have a lot more in common than you might think."

"More in common than Lucas," she said.

"Definitely. So? Where are you?" He asked again.

"Venice. I was in Rome two days ago. I was thinking of Greece next."

"Wow, you're really getting around."

"It's nice here, but..."

"What?"

"I don't want to stay in the same place for too long."

"You're running from him, aren't you?"

"Yes. He...didn't take the breakup very well." There was more hesitation, and it sounded like she was drinking something. "I don't want him to find me."

He booted up his computer and logged onto a travel site. "I can catch a flight tonight. Be there tomorrow afternoon at the latest."

"You'd do that?"

"You protected me. I owe you one."

She was silent, and House could almost see her thinking it over. "Go to the Marco Polo airport in Venice. Let me know your itinerary and I'll come meet you."

"Okay. I'll call you back."

"Okay," she replied and ended the call without another word.

House sat back in his chair as Wilson entered the room. "Well?"

"She's in Italy. Running from him. I'm going over there. Just gotta book a flight."

Wilson blinked. "You're...flying out there to be with her? House...this is...huge."

"I know. But she's by herself and scared. And there's something else that doesn't seem right."

"Like?"

"She sounded scared. That's not like her."

After several searches, he found what he was looking for and booked a red-eye flight. "Now I gotta go clear it with Cuddy. Wish me luck."

"Good luck," Wilson said, and gave his friend a fist pump for good measure.

* * *

**_Thanks for reading. As always, comments are most welcome :D_**


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: Sorry again for the delay. When writer's block hits, it doesn't mess around LOL. However, I'm trying to wrap this story up. I just finished chapter 9 and I think there might be a couple more to finish it off, and then I'm going to give my muse a rest so it can think up a good story for NaNoWriMo. I hope the wait has been worth it, and sorry again about the delay. I'll try to post the next few chapters quicker. Real Life sucks sometimes.**_

_**Note: I used Google translate for the Italian bits. If it's not accurate, oh well. **_

**Chapter Seven**

Gaby looked at herself in the mirror and gently touched her cheek which sported a very visible shiner from when Lucas struck her.

Of all the things he was, she never thought he'd become abusive. But if what Greg said was right, and he really did kill Steven, then she knew it was just a matter of time before he got to her too.

She didn't know if he was following her, but she didn't want to stay too long in one place to find out. He had the resources and the knowledge to find her, she just hoped she could stay one step ahead of him.

She glanced at her watch and grabbed her bag. Greg would be landing soon and she wanted to make sure she was there to pick him up at the airport. She also threw on a pair of large sunglasses and a big floppy hat before running out the door of her villa.

XXX

House landed in Venice and once he arrived in the terminal, looked around for Gaby. At first he missed her, but then he saw a woman approach wearing a large floppy hat and sunglasses much too big for her face.

"_Ciao, dottore. Benvenuti in Italia_," she said with a slight grin.

He looked amused as he slung his backpack over one shoulder. "_Ciao anche a te. E 'bello essere di nuovo_."

Gaby cocked her head to one side. "You've been here before?"

"I was born here."

"Well well, full of surprises, aren't you? Is that all you brought?" she asked, gesturing to his bag.

"Yep. I travel light."

"Then follow me," she said and led the way outside to her car, BMW convertible. He tossed his bag in the back seat and got in as she got in behind the wheel.

"Interesting."

"What is?"

"A BMW?"

"I like them," she said with a shrug as she peeled out of the garage and hit the open road. It wasn't a long drive and when she pulled up to the villa, House was impressed.

"Nice."

"It's like a timeshare deal."

"Hard to track you down if your name isn't associated with a rental agreement," he surmised.

"Damn right," she said as she got out of the car. "My house is your house."

When he gave her a look, she smiled. A genuine smile that lit up her whole face. "For real this time? No secret rooms that I can't explore?"

Gaby shrugged. "Snoop away."

"Holyyyy crap!" he said as he entered the foyer and looked around. The house boasted a very open floor plan with floor to ceiling windows and skylights overhead.

"Nice, huh?" she asked with a chuckle as she walked past him. "Wait till you see the master bedroom."

"What about the guest bedroom?"

"There isn't one," she said over her shoulder, causing House to smile and follow her down the hall. He was thankful it was only one level, but it was bigger than it looked from the outside and a fairly long walk to the other end of the house. Gaby threw open a set of double doors to reveal a large master suite with a four post canopy bed with some kind of sheer drapes surrounding it.

"Nice, huh?"

"Very...what's the word I'm looking for here?"

"Sensual?" Gaby supplied.

"That's it," he chuckled. "Trying to seduce me, Gaby?"

She smiled at him, looking very demure as she leaned provocatively against the post. "You know what they say. When in Rome."

House moved closer and used the end of his cane to hook around her hip and tugged on it until she was pressed against him. "We're in Venice."

"You sure know how to use that cane, Dr. House."

He grinned and wrapped his arm around her. "Which cane are you referring to?"

"Which one do you think I mean?"

"Are you always this flirty in the bedroom?"

"I guess being here, the romance of the city has rubbed off on me." Her hands slid up his chest and linked around his neck as her fingers played with his hair. "I am glad you came here, Greg. I didn't realize how relieved I was until I saw you in the terminal at the airport."

"You took care of me, now it's my turn."

"Is that how it works?" she asked with a smile.

"Seems only fair," he replied as he stared into her eyes and she stared back into his.

"Ya know, when I left Princeton, and saw Lucas, all I could think about were your blue eyes. I actually missed them."

"I missed seeing you in your Laura Croft gear," he said with a chuckle, his arms still wrapped around her waist. He had no intention of letting go. Her breasts pressed against his chest felt good.

Then his stomach rumbled and he made a face. "I'm hungry. Feed me?"

Gaby threw her head back and laughed. "I knew it was only a matter of time before you'd be looking for food. Come on then," she said as she took his hand and started leading him out of the room.

House leaned against the counter in the kitchen and sipped some wine while he watched Gaby rummage through the cupboards and fridge to find something they could eat. "How's spaghetti and garlic bread?"

He nodded. "It'll go with the wine."

"Wanna pour me some of that?" she asked as she put some pots and pans on the stove and got things started. House handed her a large glass full and their fingers touched longer than usual as she took it from him. "Oh boy," she sighed as she turned away and sipped.

"What?"

"When you look at me like that it...does things to me."

House laughed and shook his head. "Women don't usually have any reaction when I look at them."

"Oh please! I heard that you can make nurses cry just by looking at them."

"Well yeah, that part is true. But making them blush like you are right now? Not so much."

"So far you're the only one who's been able to make me blush. You should be proud."

"I'll be sure to add a notch to my belt," he said with a chuckle as he took another long sip. Gaby went to the fridge and put some items on the counter.

"Here, make yourself useful," she said and gestured to the bags of lettuce and Parmesan cheese.

He shrugged, put his glass down and went about making a Caesar salad.

"Wow, I didn't even have to beg," she chuckled as she watched him work.

He glanced over at her, and the look on his face made her heart stop. She suddenly envisioned the two of them in bed and him giving her that exact same look as he made love to her. It was intense, and naughty at the same time.

"That comes later."

She cocked her eyebrow as she took a sip of her wine. "Can't wait."

He threw the lettuce into the bowl, added Parmesan cheese and croutons, added dressing and stepped back. "Voila."

"Very nice. Why don't you put it in the fridge until dinner's ready?"

House did as he was told and then went back to sipping his wine as he watched her.

"Almost done, just gotta cook the garlic bread." She bent over, put the pan in the oven and when she went to get something out of the fridge, House was standing in front of her, trapping her between himself and the counter.

"What're you doing?" she asked, feeling a little flustered at his closeness. She could smell his familiar scent of soap and whatever else made him smell so damn good all the time and he was looking at her with the same intensity as before.

"Breaking the ice," he said and then bent his head and kissed her very softly. It was a very simple kiss, but it was more than she expected. His lips were soft but his whiskers tickled.

Her arms immediately went around his neck, pulling his head down further to deepen the kiss and she made a bit of a purring sound when his arms went around hers.

Gaby was starting to get into it when the smell of burning bread caught her attention and she pushed him back. "Oh! The bread!"

House backed away while she grabbed the oven mitts and managed to pull the garlic bread from the oven before it got truly singed beyond repair.

"Well there's a mood killer if I ever saw one," he chuckled as she glared at him.

"Go sit," she ordered, to which he obeyed, taking his glass of wine with him. He then helped her bring a few more items to the table and then they both sat down to eat.

"I think a toast is in order here," he said as he topped up their wine and lifted his glass. Gaby did the same and waited patiently.

"Okay, go ahead."

House cleared his throat and gave her another one of his naughty smiles. "To the turning tides."

"Nice alliteration, Greg," she laughed as she clinked her glass against his.

"Let me just say if it hadn't been for the garlic bread, we wouldn't be here right now, we'd be in there," he said, pointing in the direction of the bedroom. "But I'm hungry so….what're ya gonna do?"

"Eat! And then we can finish what we started."

"And we will."

House ate seconds of everything and then pushed his plate away. "Stick a fork in me, I'm done."

"Me too," Gaby sighed as she sat back in her chair and belched none too quietly.

"That wasn't very lady-like."

"I never said I was a lady," she replied with a sweet smile.

House chuckled. "So what's for dessert?"

"I thought *I* was."

He arched his eyebrow at her. "I like _this_ Gaby. Where's she been? She wasn't at the cabin."

"She was preoccupied with other things."

"I get that. And then when we got back to Princeton you wanted nothing to do with me and while part of me understood why, it also hurt."

Gaby cocked her head to one side. "The great Dr. House was hurt?"

"I thought…" he said, choosing his words carefully, "that we made a connection at the cabin. And then I screwed it up by snooping around. I can't change that, and I won't apologize for that because if I hadn't discovered what I did, you wouldn't be here right now and neither would I."

"There was a connection, but I kept my distance because of Lucas. Which, may I add, was damn hard for me because I'm so attracted to you and those few moments we had then, and then just before dinner…"

"What about them?"

Gaby got up and started gathering up the plates. "It felt good. Better than I've felt in a long time. Not since…I was married. Until you, I never felt so much chemistry with anyone else since then and it scared me because I didn't think you liked me and it seemed we were dancing around each other."

"We kind of were," he said as he got up and helped her clear off the table.

"I guess it's one of those things you have to do, to get to know each other."

She leaned against the counter and smiled at him. "And now that we do, and we're here, alone…"

He extended his hand to her and when she took it, he twirled her around in a circle, wrapped his arm around her and dipped her back, causing her to squeal and then burst into giggles.

"Very Hollywood, dahhhling," she laughed as he pulled her back up slowly and placed hot kisses along her collar bone, up to her throat, her neck and then finally her mouth.

"Funny," he murmurs against her lips, "I was going for sexy Italian lover."

"That works too," she giggled as her fingers glided through his hair and she kissed him back. "You've definitely got two out of three right. The third remains to be seen."

He looked down at her, his eyes were dark and very intense. _Predatory_ was the word Gaby would've used. He looked like he wanted to have her for dessert.

"I haven't had any complaints yet," he said and then gestured towards the hallway.

"There's always a first time," she teased as she took the hand he offered her and let him lead her to the master bedroom. Once there, he stood in front of her, leaning casually on his cane.

"You're nervous," he said, a statement more than a question.

"Aren't you?"

"A little, but not as much as you are." He then sat down on the edge of the bed and tapped the spot next to him. Once she was seated, he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and then began kissing his way down her neck to her shoulder. "I'm glad I came," he whispered as his lips made their way to hers and they kissed once again. Lips brushed against lips at first, until they both wanted more and the kiss deepened.

"Greg," Gaby sighed as she fell back against the mattress, pulling him with her, burying her fingers in his hair as his hands began to explore.

"Gaby," he whispered as he rolled them so he was leaning over her, and he continued to place kisses on her neck and throat.

"I'm so glad you're here," she practically whimpered, causing him to stop and glance at her.

Gaby bit her lip and looked up at him, her eyes were red rimmed. "I…I don't know what's wrong with me. All these emotions came over me. The fact that you're really here. You came all the way over here to be with me and you didn't have to."

"Yes I did, and I wanted to. That and I really needed a vacation."

She giggled and shook her head. "Oh so the truth comes out at last."

"I was worried about you when we talked on the phone yesterday," he said as he rested his chin on his hand and looked at her.

"And are you still?"

"About you? Not as much. About your safety, very much. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

She smiled and batted her eyelashes at him. "So the roles are reversed now?"

House shrugged. "Looks that way. Unless you have a problem with that."

Gaby shook her head. "None. I was thinking we could go into town tomorrow. I haven't had much of a chance to look around." She reached over and toyed with the top button of his shirt, undoing it with ease. "Now that I have someone to enjoy it with..."

"Have you ever been here before?"

"Not in years. My father was born here so we would visit every few years but that was when I was a kid. This is the first time I've been back in nearly twenty years."

"It's been longer than that for me. I was born in Naples but then we were gone a few months later."

"Such is the life of a military brat," she chuckled and then yawned.

"Tired?" he asked as he rolled onto his back and glanced over at her.

"Yeah, I am. It's been a long day, and then the wine. If I closed my eyes I'd be asleep in two seconds."

"Don't let me stop you," he said as he unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and tossed it aside. "I'm ready for bed myself. It was a long flight."

"Well, in that case I'm going to change for bed. Then we can get up early and paint the town red tomorrow."

House started unbuckling his jeans and stripped down to his shorts and climbed into bed while Gaby went to change in the bathroom. When she returned, she dove under the covers and pulled them up to her neck.

"You're like a virgin bride on her wedding night," House said with a soft chuckle. "I promise not to get fresh. I'm too tired for that now anyway."

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I don't know what's gotten into me tonight."

"It's not a big deal."

Gaby frowned. "Oh, but it is. When you told me you were coming, I had all these thoughts and ideas about how it would be, and what we'd do and none of it is going the way I had imagined."

"Well, I just got here and I'm in no rush to go back to Jersey, so if you're worried about me leaving in two days or something, then don't. Because it's not happening."

Gaby nodded but she still frowned. "And if you get a case?"

"Foreman and Chase can handle it, and they can call me if they can't. It would have to be pretty bad for me to have to go back to the states. Whether I'm here or there giving orders the outcome is going to be the same." He ran his hand down her arm. "So don't worry about it."

"Okay."

"Now shut up and sleep. If you're going to drag me all over town tomorrow, I need sleep. I'm an old man, after all."

"You don't act like an old man," she said under her breath.

"I heard that," he said as he rolled over onto his side and faced her.

"Good. I hate it when you call yourself an old man. You're not even close. I mean, yeah, you're over fifty but who the hell cares? Fifty isn't considered old anymore."

"Maybe not but I'm a cripple, my hair is thinning, going grey. I wouldn't call that being in my prime."

"But from the pictures I've seen of you when you were younger, you've aged like a fine wine," Gaby said and gave him that same impish smile she'd given him earlier that evening.

House smiled back at her and leaned over. She did the same until their lips met in a slow, deep kiss.

"I thought you were tired," he murmured against her lips.

"Funny, I thought you were."

"I am. We'll continue this tomorrow."

"Promise?"

He smirked. "Promise."


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: It's getting warm in here...LOL**_

**Chapter Eight**

Gaby was first to get up and threw open the curtains to let the bright morning sun blast into the room through the large floor to ceiling windows. House squinted and groaned, covering his head with the blankets.

"Unnghh...too...bright..."

"It's gorgeous out. Who can stay in bed on a day like this?" Gaby said with a laugh as she threw open the patio doors to let fresh air in. It was a very warm day already and a nice breeze swept through the room.

"I can," he groaned as he kept his head under the pillow. Gaby laughed and grabbed it from him, but he was still clutching it and it caused her to fall across his chest. "My evil plan worked!" he growled as he playfully swatted her butt, causing her to yelp with surprise and then laugh again.

"Did you take happy pills this morning or something?" he groaned as he watched her move around the room, opening the rest of the curtains. He had to admit it did look like a nice day outside, perfect for going into town and he watched her with interest. She truly seemed to be at ease.

"I don't need happy pills," she giggled. "Now get up, shower, do whatever. I'm going to make breakfast."

"Mmm breakfast. Why didn't you say so?"

"I just did. So get up, sleepy head, and there will be coffee."

House sighed and sat up, slowly swung his legs over the bed and stretched. He was always very stiff and sore first thing and he reached for the bottle of pills on the side table. The new meds he was put on were working much better and he was grateful that Nolan gave the okay for something stronger but less damaging to his liver.

After he stepped out of the shower he smelled coffee and quickly dressed for the day and made his way to the kitchen where Gaby was busy at the stove cooking up a storm.

"Smells good in here," he said as he took a seat at the counter and took the coffee cup that Gaby handed him.

"It's almost ready. I love cooking breakfast, and I'm starving."

"Me too."

"How did you sleep?"

"Like the dead. Even though I was still on Jersey time, it's always better to go to bed in local time so your body clock doesn't get so messed up. So I probably didn't get as much sleep as I normally would but I slept well. Maybe it's because you were there."

Gaby paused to look over at him. He was looking back at her with his usual intensity and her face went warm.

"Maybe it was."

She plated the French toast and bacon and handed him one before getting her own and then they ate in a companionable silence.

"So what's the plan today?" he asked her as he finished off his coffee.

"I just thought we'd go into town, have lunch at a little cafe, maybe go on a gondola ride."

"You want to do the whole romance thing?"

Gaby blushed once again and House laughed. "No need to be embarrassed. I have no problem with any of that. Venice is one of the most romantic cities so why the hell not?"

"I just never took you for a romantic."

"I have my moments. I didn't come all the way over here to just hide out in this house all day, as amazing as it is." He put down his coffee cup and looked at her. "I'm on vacation and I want to just relax. And I think you need to do the same."

"I'm working on it. It's just been a long time since I've had a chance to unwind and let my guard down."

"I know. But if I can do it so can you," he said and then got up. "Come on, get dressed and let's get out of here."

XXX

Gaby parked the car in a lot right near the center of town and they walked to a small cafe in the Piazza San Marco.

"Wow, this is just how it is in the movies," she said as they found a table and sat down.

"Vegas did a nice reconstruction as well."

"I heard. That's another place I want to go to."

"Never been to Vegas?"

"Not in a long time. I went with a friend who got married and had a bachelorette party but that was fifteen years ago. It probably looks a lot different now."

"Yeah. They're always tearing down old hotels and building new ones."

"Maybe...when this mess is over, I'll go. Do you gamble?"

"Every time I order out," House said with a grin.

Gaby giggled and shook her head. "You don't cook?"

"Not unless I have to. Can't really stand for too long anyway."

"No, true. How are the new pain meds, anyway?"

"Fine. Good," he said with a nod. "Ibuprofen just wasn't cutting it. Barely taking the edge off and I couldn't stand it anymore. I need an opiate of some kind and I think once Nolan spoke with a pain management doctor, he realized that I needed something other than Vicodin so they worked something out. My pain levels went from a 9 to a 4. Huge difference. And it won't kill my liver."

"That's always a good thing. You're too young to end up with liver failure."

A server came over to take their orders and they both ordered a sandwich and a latte as they watched the people going by.

At the end of the day, as the sun started to set, they strolled over to the riverside. "We don't have to do this," she said as they approached the Gondola.

House chuckled as he paid for two tickets. "When in Rome."

"But we're in Venice," she giggled as the Gondolier took her hand and helped her in.

"Whatever. The saying still applies. Just go with it."

As the Gondola left the pier, Gaby took advantage of the moment and moved closer to House, allowing him to wrap his arm around her shoulder and sit back to enjoy the ride.

"I feel...very close to you right now, Greg," Gaby whispered as she rested her cheek against his chest.

"Good."

"The Rialto bridge is coming up," the Gondolier told them. "It's tradition to kiss under the bridge."

"Oh really? Whose tradition?" House asked him, earning an elbow in the ribs. "Hey!"

"Remember what you said, Greg. When in Rome."

He looked down at her, a sexy grin formed on his lips. "And I remember what you said. We're in Venice."

"Just shut up and kiss me," she said as she gripped his shirt and pulled him down for a long, deep kiss that lasted until they passed under the bridge. When their lips parted, they looked at each other, and held each other close until the ride came to an end.

Neither of them said much on the drive back to the villa but as soon as they were inside, House pulled her into his arms and kissed her as he unzipped her leather jacket and pushed it off her shoulders.

Gaby unbuttoned House's shirt and did the same as they moved down the hall, stopping only briefly to remove an article of clothing until they arrived at the bedroom.

"Are you sure you want this?" he asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed wearing only his jeans.

"I've wanted this since I went to your apartment to get the rest of my things and you came out of the shower wearing only a towel," she said softly as her fingers traced an invisible pattern on his chest. "You have no idea how much I wanted to stay but I couldn't."

"Because of Lucas?"

"Yeah. I was scared of him."

"Well he's not here," House said as he pulled her closer and kissed her again. "It's just us. Nobody else."

"I know," she said as she let him kiss her neck and down across her throat. His whiskers tickled the sensitive areas of her skin and she shivered as he kissed his way back up to her lips.

"Cold?"

"Not at all," she said and then took a deep breath in when his hand cupped her breast and teased the nipple with his thumb. He reached around with his free hand to unhook her bra at the back and slowly pulled the straps down to remove it from her.

"Bellisima," he whispered as he gently guided her to lay back and then leaned over to take a nipple into his mouth, loving the sound of her gasping in surprise.

Gaby sighed and buried her fingers in his short hair as she let herself relax a little more. What he was doing felt amazing and she closed her eyes to enjoy it fully.

House continued kissing his way down, across her flat stomach, stopping to tease her belly button with his tongue which elicited another soft sigh from her. His hands went to the waistline of her pants and he slowly pulled them off. She glanced down to see what he was doing and her eyes widened when he placed kisses on her inner thigh and spread her legs wider.

"Greg...what..."

He glanced up at her, that same sexy grin plastered on his face that sent a warmth through her entire body. She wondered if he practiced that look in the mirror on a daily basis because it did things to her that she wasn't used to feeling. Not with anyone.

"Want me to stop?"

"I...don't know."

His fingers traced over the damp fabric of her lace underwear and he smirked. "Doesn't feel like you do." His fingers tugged on the waistband of the lacy garment and pulled it off, leaving her completely open and vulnerable to him as he looked her over. She wasn't used to having anyone look at her with such intensity and it made her squirm.

"Trust me," he said as his finger slipped down between her folds and teased her.

She gasped and arched her back. "I do, it's just...nobody's..."

He understood what she was trying to say and nodded. "Relax," he said, his voice soft as he continued to touch her, letting his fingers do the walking while he watched her reaction. She was really trying to relax but he could tell she was still apprehensive. How had anyone not done this for her? It seemed unreal to him.

He realized that she needed more time so he kissed his way back up her body and as soon as their lips met again, he felt her go limp in his arms.

"This is nice," she sighed as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him as close as possible.

House grinned and then quickly relieved himself of his jeans but kept his shorts on. "There. Still feeling vulnerable?"

She nodded and gave him a guilty smile. "I can't help it, Greg. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize. I get it. I don't know how things were with what's his name and frankly I don't care. But I do care if you can't relax enough to enjoy yourself."

She looked away and he placed his fingers under her chin and turned it to face him. "Do you think I'm going to hurt you?"

"No, of course not. I know you'd never hurt me."

"But _he_ did, so you're scared. You don't have to be."

"I'm not scared _of_ you, I'm scared _for_ you!"

"For me? Why? You think he's going to come after me?"

"I know he will, and that's what I'm scared of because I love you so much and I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you."

He watched her completely fall apart and cover her face with her hands as she sobbed. Then he got up, went to the kitchen and fixed them both a drink. When he returned she had gotten under the covers in bed and was watching him.

"I'm screwing everything up. I'm so sorry, Greg. This was supposed to be all romantic and sexy and I'm ruining it. That wasn't the way I wanted to tell you how I felt."

He handed her the Scotch and got into bed with her before sipping his own. "You haven't ruined anything. And the night's not over yet," he said as he clinked his glass against hers. "So, have you decided where we're going next?"

"I was thinking Greece but now that you're here I want to go somewhere more romantic."

"Paris?"

Her face lit up. "You want to go to THE most romantic city in the world?"

"Don't you?"

"I didn't consider it because I didn't want to be there all by myself."

"Well now you won't be." He took another long sip and glanced over at her. "I didn't realize you felt that way. It's a bit of a game changer."

Gaby sighed and swirled the scotch around in her glass. "I had all these thoughts and ideas in my head about tonight."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Well today was amazing and I enjoyed myself with you a lot so I figured things would happen naturally from there but then when things heated up, I got scared. Dumb, right?"

"What scared you?"

"It's just that...it's been so long since anyone's touched me like that. Do you understand?"

"Yeah I get that but why did it scare you?"

"It scared me because I want this to work out so bad but I know you don't do relationships and..."

House blinked and he shook his head. "Whoa hang on. Who said I don't do relationships?"

"Nobody came right out and said it but it was implied so that's part of why I was so stand-offish with you at the cabin and then when I came to your apartment to get the rest of my stuff. I didn't want it to be just a fling and then carry on like it never happened. That would've been hard for me."

"Well, let me put it to you this way. I wouldn't have come all the way over here if I didn't feel something. The very idea of being with you suddenly made me happy. And you know that I'm not a happy kinda guy."

She giggled. "That's for sure, but I am enjoying this side of you. I never took you for a romantic."

"Like I said, I have my moments. So let me show you what I'm made of."

Gaby smiled at him and leaned over for a kiss, which he gladly accepted and returned. He could taste the scotch on her tongue and her lips. He took the glass from her and placed it on the side table next to his before pulling her against him as the kiss deepened.

"Greg..." she sighed as they continued to kiss and touch each other. "Can we just...be like this? All night?"

"We can do whatever you want," he whispered against her lips.

"Can we go to Paris tomorrow?"

He chuckled. "Whatever you want."

She leveled him with a seductive look of her own. "You're what I want. Can I have you too?"

"I thought that's why I'm here."

She trailed her fingers through the hair on his chest and smiled. "Just making sure."

They kissed again and she snuggled up against him, resting her cheek on his chest, enjoying the sound of his heartbeat and before long, she was sound asleep.

* * *

"_You know you can never leave me, don't you?"_

"_Excuse me?"  
_

_"You heard me."_

"_Yeah I heard you but I'm not going to let you sit there and dictate what I can and can't do. If I want to leave you right now, I'll do it. Nobody tells me what to do, Lucas."_

"_Now you listen to me..."_

_Gaby stood up, nearly knocking over the table. "No, you listen to me. I'm moving my business back east and that's that."_

"_So you can be with that old cripple?"_

"_If I want to date House, I will. You and I are not married, we barely have a relationship anymore. I'll do what the hell I please and with whom." She picked up her purse and her keys. "I've got a plane to catch. We're done here."  
_

_"If you leave, you'll be sorry, Gabriella."_

_She leveled him with a look. "I'm shaking. Really."_

"_You can't protect him forever, baby."_

"_Fuck off."_

"_You better watch your mouth."_

"_Or what, Lucas? You don't scare me."_

"_Do you want what happened to your husband to happen to Dr. cripple?"  
_

_"You're really sick. Don't you dare talk about Steven. You're not even half the man he was!"_

_The smack came fast and hard with the back of his hand and it knocked her back against the bookshelves. Gaby recovered quickly and straightened up."Truth hurt, you son of a bitch!? Huh!? Does that make you feel like a big man? Hitting a woman?"_

"_I told you to watch your mouth! I'll bet you let that old guy bang you while you were "hiding out."_

"_Actually no, I didn't, but it's not like you'd be the wiser if I had."_

_Lucas advanced on her but she gripped her clutch piece and sliced his forearm. "Back the fuck off! Don't touch me or I swear to God, I'll kill you."  
_

_"Not if I kill you first."_

Gaby sat straight up in bed, her body shivering and covered in a cold sweat. The room was pitch black and at first she didn't know where she was. The space next to her in bed was empty and she gave her head a shake.

"Greg?"

Part of her hoped she hadn't dreamed that he'd come to her all the way from Jersey but when he wasn't in bed next to her, she started to panic and she turned on the lamp. "Greg!"

She heard someone moving around in the hall and the familiar step-thump of his cane as he approached. When he saw her, he stopped short. "What?"

She scrubbed her hands over her face and sighed. "It's nothing. Forget it. Just a nightmare."

He came closer and reached for her, checking her pulse, which was still fast.

"Must've been some nightmare. Here," he said, handing her the scotch leftover from earlier that night. She downed it in one long gulp and sighed.

"This is terrible. I shouldn't have told you where I was. You don't need this drama. You should just pack up and go back to Jersey and forget about me."

"Don't be stupid. I can decide for myself if I want to stay or not."

"Why would you want to? I'm a hot mess."

"Yes that's true," he chuckled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "But you're _my_ hot mess. Now go back to sleep. I want you in top form if we're going to go to Paris in the morning."

She smiled at him. "You really wanna go?"

"Yeah. So close your pretty eyes and get back to sleep before I _put_ you to sleep," he chuckled.

"Yes, doctor."

He turned out the light and she snuggled against him once more. He could tell it took awhile for her to fall back to sleep but once she did, he soon followed.


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Sit back and relax. This chapter is gonna be HOT!**_

**Chapter Nine**

"Ahh Gay Paree," House sighed as they climbed out of the taxi and entered the hotel lobby.

"What's so gay about it?" Gaby giggled as they made their way to the front desk to check in.

"It's just an expression. Never seen Victor/Victoria?"

"No, I can't say that I have."

"We'll have to fix that."

"Who's in it?"

"Julie Andrews, James Garner and Robert Preston."

"I'm intrigued."

"You should be. It set right here in Paris."

"We might just have to watch it then."

House spoke fluent French, impressing Gaby once more, and a bellboy took them up to their room. However, calling it a room was an understatement. It was more like a penthouse or maybe even a honeymoon suite. There was a large patio through a set of French doors, an enormous master bedroom and mini bar. A bottle of champagne sat chilling in a bucket.

"Did you set this up?" she asked him as she wandered through the suite looking at everything.

House shrugged as he popped the cork and poured them each a flute. "I merely called to make the reservation and asked for the nicest room they had."

"Really?" she asked, looking doubtful. "Because this looks like a freakin' honeymoon hideway."

"It's definitely more than I expected. Do you like it? Because we can always go somewhere else."

Gaby sauntered over to House and took the glass he offered her. "I love it. Thank you. You exceeded my expectations and this is exactly what I wanted and needed."

He smiled down at her as he sipped the champagne. "Good."

They kissed once, softly, his tongue sliding against hers. Her hand slid down his chest and out to his hand, pulling him in the direction of the bedroom.

"Where're we going?"

"I thought we'd take a little nap before dinner."

"If by nap you mean make out, I can handle that," he said and let her lead him to the bed covered in pillows.

"Stand here," she ordered as she put her glass aside and unbuckled his belt.

"Umm...okay," he said, glad there was a table for him to lean against because when she unzipped his jeans and released him he thought he was going to fall over.

"Gaby," he groaned as she sank to her knees and looked up at him with the sexiest grin he'd ever seen. "You don't have to..."

"I want to."

Her hand was gently but firmly stroking him to the point of going insane and he closed his eyes when she took him in her mouth. He wasn't sure what to make of it but he wasn't going to stop her, either. It was a very pleasant surprise to say the least. When he glanced down at her, and found her looking up at him, it was his undoing and he gripped a fistful of her long dark hair and she took him over the edge.

"Jeeeeesus," he groaned as he sat down on the edge of the bed and collapsed back against the pillows.

Gaby stretched out next to him and smiled. "That's my way of saying thank-you."

House looked over at her, but he didn't look happy. "Is that what you think? That I expected you to..."

"I thought you'd like it."

He threw his arm across his eyes and groaned. "Of course I did, but that's not the point!"

"Then what is your point?"

"My point is that you don't need to feel that you owe me anything."

Gaby got up and went into the other room so House followed. He turned some music on and topped up the champagne flutes, handing her one.

"I'm willing to bet that he never did that for you but he expected you to do it for him."

She wiped her eyes and sniffed. "He was a selfish prick."

"Yeah, and I'm not. I would never take you out for a nice dinner or wherever and expect some kind of reciprocation."

"Why not?"

House blinked. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Really, Gaby? Is your self esteem that low? I don't buy it."

Gaby closed her eyes. "I don't know what to say." She wandered over to the French doors, opened them and stepped outside to lean against the patio railing.

House stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I miss the Gaby that was at the cabin. You were tough, and sexy and sure of yourself. Then you changed once Lucas showed up. He really must've done a number on you."

She let out a long, shuddering breath. "I let my guard down for too long I guess. And when I do, that's when everything turns to shit. I let him treat me like crap all these years because I was afraid to be alone after I lost Stephen. Lucas swept in and honestly, he was like a knight on the white horse. He was a bit of a prick even then but I figured I was just comparing him to Stephen and that not all men could be like him so I just went with it. I didn't know any better and I was too involved with my work to even consider looking elsewhere." She took a long sip of the champagne and continued.

"Then I met you. You were dark, moody, mysterious and you drove me insane, but I admire what you do and what you stand for. I guess I talked about you too much to Lucas because he saw you as a threat. And that's when the trouble started. He started to show his true colors even more."

"You deserve a lot more than he was willing to give you."

"It's hard to believe sometimes. If we went out, he'd expect me to put out."

"Selfish prick."

Gaby gave a small giggle and leaned back against House as they stood and watched the people below. Then she turned around and softly touched his face. He leaned into her touch and closed his eyes.

"I love you, Greg. I really, really love you."

"I know," he said quietly and bent his head to kiss her. She returned the kiss and stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and opening her mouth under his.

"Listen," he whispered between kisses, "let's go have lunch, check out the city a little, come back and then spend the rest of the night here."

Her eyes lit up. "Room service?"

"Mais oui, bien sur," he said in a thick French accent.

Gaby laughed. "You speak French pretty well."

"I'd rather kiss that way."

"Mmm I'd rather you did, too," she said as she pulled his head down for another kiss until the need for air was too great and they slowly broke apart.

"Come on, let's get changed and get outta here or we'll never leave."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

He glanced over at her as she sauntered into the bedroom to unpack her suitcase.

XXX

After spending the afternoon wandering the streets of Paris and having coffee at an outdoor cafe, they decided to leave the Eiffel Tower for the next day and return to the room for dinner. The idea of eating alone in their room appealed to them as opposed to a stuffy French bistro and Gaby seemed much more at ease than she had been when they arrived. "So what are you in the mood for?" House asked as they sat together on the couch and looked over the room service menu.

"Ohh, the prawns amoureuse sounds amazing," she said. "I'm having that. What about you?"

"Steak au poivre." He reached for the phone and called in the order, adding dessert and some wine as well. "Well, now we have some time to kill. What to do?" he asked her as he wandered into the bedroom where she was putting away some more clothes.

He sat down on the bed and patted the spot next to him. She put down her things and both of them sat resting against the headboard.

"I don't know about you but I kind of like this."

"We could...heat things up a little more," he said as he brushed her long hair away from her neck and started nibbling.

"Unnghh...yeah...that's nice."

"You smell good...always have. From that very first day when you slammed me up against the wall."

Gaby laughed and rolled her head back to give him more access. "I was just doing my job."

"I know but as alarming as it was at the time, it was still sexy as hell as I look back on it."

"Mmm...like it rough do you, Dr. House?"

"Sometimes. What about you?" he asked as his fingers started to unbutton the front of her sun dress.

"Depends how rough," she moaned as he slipped his hand inside and gently massaged her breast through the lacy fabric of her bra.

"So then...if I were to rip open your dress and send the buttons flying, would that be too rough?"

"No, but I actually like this dress," she giggled.

He started kissing his way down her neck to the spot above her breasts and ran his tongue across her throat. She clutched his knee and sank back into the pillows behind her as his hand slid under her dress and touched her warm, wet lace panties.

"I'd buy you a new one," he murmured between kisses as he got all the buttons undone and immediately kissed her breast through the lace.

His fingers shoved her panties aside and started to gently rub her clit while she squirmed underneath him.

"Greg..." she panted.

"Hmm?"

"The food will be here soon..."

"It's only been a few minutes since I put the order in. They told me thirty." He stopped kissing her breast and glanced up. "Want me to stop?"

"Don't you dare," she giggled. "I just don't want us to be interrupted."

"Don't worry about it. Just lie back, relax and let me do this for you."

At first she didn't know what he was talking about but when she heard the ripping of lace and felt her panties being literally torn from her body, she groaned and surrendered.

"Move down a bit," he instructed and pulled her further down the bed so she was lying down and he was settled on his stomach between her legs.

She closed her eyes when he pulled the dress from her, careful not to rip it and left her in just her lace bra. She was definitely more relaxed than the night before, maybe even excited, if the wet panties he'd just discarded were any indication.

"Spread your legs for me," he said, his voice deep and husky and she did as she was told. "Mm, nice," he whispered as his fingers touched and explored her and his lips kissed and nibbled the sensitive skin of her inner thighs, causing her to squirm and make sounds he'd never heard before.

"Mmm...Greg, yessss," she hissed when his lips moved closer to the one spot she wanted him to kiss and she arched off the bed to get closer but he teased her relentlessly.

"Is this what you want?" he asked teasingly, his lips kissing the back of her knee, and then the other.

"N-no. Please, Greg," she pleaded as she gripped the bedspread and spread her legs wider, causing him to smile to himself and kiss his way up her leg to her inner thigh.

"What about...here?" he asked, nipping at the sensitive skin there and causing her to gasp.

"Greg..."

"Tell me what you want," he told her, rubbing his whiskers against her thigh.

"I...I can't..."

"Yes you can. You know what you want. I want you to say it."

She opened her eyes and looked down at him, lids heavy and her skin was flushed all the way down to her chest. He had her right where he wanted her.

"Greg, please..."

He chuckled and slid a finger over her clit, causing her to spasm and arch her back once again. "Want me to kiss you here?"

"Oh God, yessss."

"I didn't hear the magic word," he teased.

Now she was frustrated and, he could tell, a little pissed off.

"Goddamnit Greg!"

He laughed. "That wasn't it."

She moaned and shook her head. "Please...Greg..."

Without another word he moved up and began feasting on her. Her groans and whimpers were fuel to the fire and he devoured her until she came with an explosive finish and went limp against the pillows.

There was a knock at the door and she groaned softly.

"Normally I have dessert _after_ dinner but this was so much better," House chuckled as he got up and grabbed a robe from the closet for her to put on before dinner.

She emerged from the bedroom still flushed but completely spent as she sat down at the table and gave him a shy smile.

"I'm starving," she said as she put the napkin on her lap and immediately dug in.

"Gee, I wonder why," he chuckled as he started in on his steak. "Mmm, so good."

"Yeah this is amazing." She speared a large prawn with her fork and fed it to him. He offered her a piece of his steak and it was also delicious.

After dinner, both of them completely full, they relaxed on the couch and listened to some music until they were ready for dessert. Gaby glanced over at House and smiled. "I'm glad you agreed to come here with me. I've always wanted to see Paris but Lucas never did."

"Doesn't surprise me."

"No? It surprises me that you wanted to come."

"It's been years since I've been here and when I was it was for a Nephrology conference."

"Sounds riveting."

"No, it wasn't."

Gaby's attention was drawn outside where the skies opened up and the rain came down hard, pounding against the window pane and thundering on the patio. "Wow. Where did that come from? It was sunny half an hour ago."

"Welcome to France," he chuckled as he turned to face her and gently stroked her cheek.

"You know what I want to do?" she asked as she leaned into his touch.

"What?"

"Make love to the sound of the rain."

"Sounds sexy," he whispered, his lips moving down her neck.

"And I mean _make love_, Greg. _Slowly_. So that the only sounds are our breathing, the rain on the windows..."

"You screaming my name," he added as his hand slipped down to her exposed leg.

"Mhm, that too."

House got up and they walked to the bed together. Gaby dropped her robe and climbed in while he removed the rest of his clothes and joined her. The music from the other room could be heard but it was quiet enough that they could still hear the rain.

"This is exactly what I had in mind," Gaby whispered as she laid her head against his chest and enjoyed the way he stroked her hair.

"Glad I could oblige," he chuckled softly and then his mouth found hers in a long deep kiss which flared up in a matter of seconds.

Lips and hands were suddenly everywhere, breathing was heavy and there was even a whimper or two on her part when his fingers found the spot he was looking for.

"Oh yes! Greg...please..."

His mouth crashed against hers again while she wrapped her leg around his hip and gyrated against his very firm erection.

"Oh God," he groaned. "Keep that up and it'll be over before it even starts," he chuckled against her lips.

"Then take me," she moaned as she pulled him on top of her and wrapped both legs around his hips, urging him on.

"So much for slow," he chuckled once more as he slid deeply into her warmth. He'd never before heard the kind of sound she made as he did so, but he knew it would be stuck in his head forever.

"Greg!" she shouted, her head rolling back so he could devour her neck.

They began to move together. House tried to distract himself by listening to the rain relentlessly banging against the windows but it was no use. Gaby's cries were his undoing. He tried to go slowly but it was no use.

Her nails scraping down his back, her hips rising to meet his and her mouth on his skin caused him to forget everything and just take her. And he did.

The rain seemed to let up then, and everything was still and quiet, save for their heavy breathing and the rustling of sheets as they shifted into a comfortable position.

"I don't deserve to be this happy," she murmured against his chest before placing a feather-light kiss.

"That's usually my line," he chuckled as he kissed her temple and stroked her hair.

"You don't think you deserve happiness?" she asked.

He shrugged. "It's not something I experience often. But why don't you?"

"I guess I just settled for too long and so I figured this was as good as it gets. But I was wrong. It's better." Gaby propped herself up on one elbow and looked at him. "I'm in love with you, Greg."

The love in her eyes was almost too much and it made him look away.

"What's wrong?" she inquired, her fingers gently playing with the hair on his chest.

"Not a thing."

"Look at me."

He shifted his gaze back to her and managed a small smile. "I liked hearing you say it."

Gaby nodded and smiled again. "I don't expect you to say it back. I know you're a man of actions rather than words, and you made it perfectly clear how you feel just now." She then gave him a saucy grin to make her point.

"Did I?"

"Oh yeah. If I had any doubts about how you felt about me, I don't anymore."

House smiled at her and then closed his eyes, quickly falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

**_So whaddya think? Comments are most welcome as always and thank you to those who have been reviewing. It's much appreciated. I love you guys!_**


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Sorry for the delay. I'm having a hard time finishing this story for whatever reason, but I'm working on it. NaNoWriMo starts in a couple weeks and I'll be doing that so I'm trying to get this done. I don't like leaving fics unfinished. It might not have the ending I initially thought up, or it might end with a little less flair than I'd like but it will end. I promise. So here we go.**_

**Chapter Ten**

Gaby slowly awoke when the sun beamed through the windows and she stretched luxuriously. Her whole body felt alive and she knew she had a ridiculous smile on her face but she didn't care. The reason for that smile was sound asleep in bed next to her, or rather, she thought he was asleep. When he opened his eyes and looked at her, they seemed bluer than ever and she felt a shudder go through her.

"Morning," she said.

"Is it? Already?"

"'Fraid so. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah. Is there room service?"

"Of course."

He watched her get up and walk naked out f the room and he was still smiling when she returned. She stopped in the doorway when she saw him smiling. "What?"

"C'mere," he said as he pulled the covers back for her. As soon as she climbed into bed he was on her, his mouth crashed against hers and his hands immediately went to just the right spots that made her gasp in surprise.

"I thought...you were hungry," she murmured against his mouth as his fingers slid downward and she gasped once again.

"I am," he leered at her before he began kissing his way down her body until he was under the covers.

"Greg? What're you...doing..." she groaned as she fell back against the pillows and gripped the sheets. Her back arched when his mouth reached its intended destination. "Oh!" she gasped again when his thumb grazed her clit and his tongue replaced his fingers. She was panting and rambling incoherently as she writhed under his ministrations. It all felt so good and she could no longer tell the difference between his tongue or his fingers as he pleasured her to the point of no return. It was so overwhelming and intense that she felt her body gearing up for the ultimate release.

"Oh my God...Greg...so...so close..."

"Just let go," she heard him murmur under the sheet.

But it wasn't enough for her. She needed him. She needed to feel him now. Her hands reached down and tugged on his hair, bringing him out from under the covers. He seemed to understand what she wanted when she looked down at him and he intended to give it to her. He kissed his way back up her body and took a nipple into his warm mouth.

Gaby gasped once again and hooked one leg around his hip so she could rub her core against him.

"Greg...please..."

"Please what?" he teased as he leisurely switched to the other breast and tugged at her nipple with his teeth.

He was driving her completely mad and she groaned in frustration.

"Say it...tell me what you want."

Nobody had ever asked her to do that before. Dirty talk was not something she was familiar or comfortable with and she found herself becoming even more frustrated. "I...I can't..."

"Yes you can," he whispered, placing kisses on her throat. "Just say it. Tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it."

"You know..." she breathed.

But he wasn't letting her off that easy. "No, I don't."

She reached down and gripped him in her hand and he groaned. "I want you..."

"Go on..." he urged, just barely able to hang on or form any coherent thought with the way she was stroking him. "What do you want me to do to you, Gaby?"

"Unghh...Greg, make love to me. Please. I need to feel you..."

House grinned and smiled down at her. "Was that so hard?" he asked as he immediately moved up and slid into her.

"Yes..." she almost laughed but as soon as he took her, she closed her eyes and just gave into him. "Oh..Greg," she sighed as her arms came up around him and she held him close to her.

They moved together in a slow rhythm at first but they were both past the point of no return and their movements became fast and frantic until they came together in a mutual release that left them sweaty and laughing like a couple of horny teenagers.

"Oh my God..." she groaned. "I'm not going to be able to move."

"I guess we'll just have to stay in bed all day then," House chuckled as he rolled off of her and gathered her up in his arms, kissing her neck and her shoulder.

"Mmm I could get down with that. Paris will still be here tomorrow."

"And so will we. Now, where did you put that room service menu?"

XXX

House's cell phone rang while he and Gaby were eating breakfast and he debated answering it, but something deep down told him he should answer.

"House...where are you?" Wilson's voice sounded urgent and immediately set off alarm bells in House's mind.

"Umm why?"

"Are you still in Venice?"

"No."

There was an audible sigh of relief. "Okay good."

"What's up?"

"Someone called here the other day looking for you. Didn't give his name but he was asking all kinds of invasive questions. And the number he called from was international. Italy, specifically."

"Interesting."

"I suggest packing up and moving on ASAP."

"Probably not a bad idea. Keep me posted." House flipped his phone closed and continued eating as if nothing had happened, while Gaby stared at him.

"Was that James?"

"No, Foreman. Needed a consult."

"That's all?"  
"Yep."

She sat back and watched him for a few minutes. "You're lying."

House swallowed his last bite and looked at her. "What are you talking about?"

"I know it was James. I recognized the ring tone. Something's going on and yet you don't want to tell me. Why?"

"It's not important."

"It must be if you feel you had to lie and say it was Foreman."

House merely shrugged and took a sip of coffee, which had now turned cold.

"Fine. Whatever," she said as she got up and stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door closed behind her. He put the food tray out into the hallway and then followed her. She wasn't in the bedroom but he could hear the shower running so he removed his robe and entered the large marble bathroom. She couldn't see him for all the steam until he stepped into the shower.

"House!"

"Oh, so now it's House, is it? You must be really pissed," he chuckled.

"I am!"

"Why?"

"Because you lied to me! And then when I called you out on it you still wouldn't tell me why you lied. I thought I could trust you. I told you everything. I bared my soul to you and you basically stepped all over it and threw it back at me."

"Gaby," he sighed as he sat down on the built in seat and tried to pull her into his arms but she wouldn't let him.

"Don't try to sweet-talk your way out of this..."

"I wasn't. What I have in mind requires very little talking," he grinned as he reached for her again and this time managed to pull her down onto his good leg. He started placing kisses all over her hot, wet skin and she purred in spite of herself and her head fell back, giving him access to her neck. "Forgive me yet?" he murmured between kisses.

"No."

His hand slipped down and he strummed her with his thumb, causing her to gasp and grip his shoulders.

"What about now?"

"You're not playing fair," she moaned as she spread her legs wider.

"I'm not the one having a tantrum," he pointed out. Then his lips crashed against hers and forced her mouth open, their tongues fighting for dominance. His fingers continued to slip inside of her until she was a quivering mess in his lap. Her breath was ragged as she slumped against his chest, and he sat like that with her until the water started to cool down

.. He reached up to shut off the tap and patted her back. "Come on, back to bed. We'll talk. And then we'll decide where the next destination is."

"I've been thinking about that," she said as they dried off.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. And honestly, I'm tired of running. Although I wouldn't mind having more time with you...like this," she said, gesturing between them. "But clearly he's looking for us and he's not going to stop. So we pull a fast one and do something he probably won't expect."

"Like going back to the states."

She smiled. "Exactly."

"Are you going to stay...in Princeton?" he asked, a little afraid to hear the answer.

Gaby put her robe back on and handed him his. "That depends."

"On what?"

"On you. Do you want me to stay in Princeton?"

He followed her into the bedroom and watched her open her suitcase while she decided on what to wear.

When she looked at him, he felt a sense of calm and he relaxed. "I want you to stay with me, in Princeton."

Her face lit up and she walked over to him, wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled. "Really?"

"Really."

She enveloped him in a hug and kissed his cheek. "You make me very happy, Greg."

He smiled at her, feeling like a total sap, but he didn't care. "Good. Remember that feeling for next time you're pissed off at me."

XXX

As House and Gaby strolled along the Seine, his phone rang again, this time it was Cuddy. "House, where are you?"

"If I told you where I was, it wouldn't be a vacation. Now what do you want?"

"There's going to be a huge medical conference and they want you to speak."

"No."

"House, you're under contract to..."

"Still no."

"You're doing it."

"When is it?"

"Next week. In LA."

He glanced at Gaby who was leaning against the railing watching the other people. "I'll get back to you. Kinda busy right now." He flipped his phone shut and joined her.

"Who was that?"

"Cuddy. She wants me to do a medical conference. In LA."

"Really? Are you?"

"I don't want to, but I'm bound under contract to give the occasional speech."

"Well, if you do it, I'm going with you."

House glanced over at her. "Why?"

Her smile was small at first and then grew bigger. "I'm gonna be bait for Lucas. Why else?"


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: Only one more chapter to go. I'm going to try and get it done before the end of next week because then NaNoWriMo starts and if the story isnt finished, it might never be. **_

**Chapter Eleven**

"Are you out of your mind?" House all but shouted at her, causing passers-by to look at them. When he glared back, they scurried on their way.

Gaby shifted and casually rested one arm on the railing. "No, I don't believe I am. Remember, Greg, I do this kind of thing for a living. This 'aint my first time at the rodeo. He's going to follow us no matter where we go. We might as well use it to our advantage."

House gripped his cane tighter so his knuckles were white. "I don't like it."

"You don't have to like it, but it's not your job. It's mine."

"Your job will get you killed."

"So could yours. You've already been shot and God only knows what Nurse Jeffery would've done if he succeeded in his mission." She then reached over and picked off a piece of lint from his shirt and moved closer. "You're mad at me," she said as a statement, not a question.

"No, I'm not mad."

"Yes you are. Well, if you're going to continue to be mad," she said with a cute smile as her hand slid up his chest and she stepped closer, "then we can go back to the hotel and "fight" about it."

House arched his eyebrow and looked down at her. She was still smiling, but it was a sexy smile and her other hand was sliding up his chest to link around his neck. A small grin turned up one corner of his mouth. "Perhaps we should."

"I've seen enough of this city for one day anyway," she said as she took his hand and started pulling him in the direction of the hotel.

Their lips were fused together as the door opened and clothes were quickly removed. They made it as far as the couch and found that to be too cramped. Gaby grabbed a couple of the throw pillows just as they moved to the floor and continued their tryst.

"Greg!" she gasped when his mouth found her breast and his hand found that one spot that caused her to arch her back.

"Shh," he chuckled as his tongue swirled over her nipple. "We're supposed to be fighting, remember?"

"If this is fighting I can't wait for the make-up sex."

He smiled and then rolled them over so she was on top of him. "I think I've created a monster."

"I believe you have," she giggled as she maneuvered herself over him and then sank down, causing them both to groan loudly. "Oh God Greg, so good," she gasped, her hands on his chest for leverage as she moved up and down on him. Slowly at first.

House gripped her hips and bucked up into her. "Fuck...Gaby...faster..."

She smiled and moved faster. "Yes, doctor."

"Don't get cocky. I'm still mad."

Gaby threw her head back and laughed but started to move up and down at a much faster pace. He reached up to where their bodies joined and rubbed her clit until she arched her back and moaned. "Greg!"

His arm reached up and pulled her down for a long kiss as he helped her reach her climax and then reached his own. She collapsed against him and he wrapped his arms around her, gently stroking her back.

"Mmm that was amazing," she sighed as she kissed his chest.

"Yeah."

Gaby rolled off of him and lay on her side, her fingers playing with the hairs on his chest. "Greg?"

"Mhm?" he murmured, eyes closed and already getting sleepy.

"Everything will work out. I promise."

He opened one eye, glanced at her and then nodded. "We'll look out for each other."

X X X

After a couple more days in Paris, House and Gaby packed up their stuff and flew back to Princeton. "Were you serious? Before?" she asked him in the taxi on the way back to his apartment.

"About what?"

"Wanting me to live with you."

He nodded. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you to."

"Okay. I guess part of me was just worried you said it in the heat of passion or something and that you might regret it."

"Life's too short to have regrets."

* * *

Wilson was already at the apartment when the cab pulled up and he came out to help with their luggage. "Welcome back, House, Gaby."

"Thanks, James."

"Wilson," House said with a nod. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. Sorry I couldn't meet you at the airport. I just got out of surgery."

"It's fine. Take care of that, will ya, Wilson?" House asked his friend as the cab driver waited for payment, and then took Gaby inside.

"My house is your house," he smiled at her.

"Like before."

"Yeah, only for real this time."

"For real?" Wilson said from the doorway. "What do you mean?"

"Gaby and I are shacking up. So unless you wanna catch a live show, I suggest you go home now. I can take it from here."

Wilson shook his head in disbelief, muttered under his breath and left the apartment.

"So, I guess we gotta pack up to go to LA?" Gaby said as she put her bag down and crossed the room towards him.

"At some point. But not now," he leered as he reached for her. She took his outstretched hand and giggled when she wound up in his arms and his mouth devoured her neck.

"Mhm I have a better idea myself," she murmured as her hands immediately started to unbutton his shirt.

"Bedroom?"

"Actually I had another idea."

"Mhm?"

"I thought about back when you'd stay in some nights, and you had a roaring fire going while you sat on the couch and read your medical journals. And I remember sitting across from you, wondering what it would be like..." Then she stopped and shook her head.

"What _what_ would be like?" he urged. "Come on, you can't get me all curious and then stop. Tell me," he whispered as he continued to kiss her neck and nibble a spot behind her ear that he recently discovered as a favorite.

Gaby moaned softly and closed her eyes, her hands squeezed his shoulders. "Remember in Paris when we ended up on the floor instead of the bed?"

"Yes."

"Well what I had in mind is similar except there would be a fire and mood music and..."

"Us naked on the floor?"

"Exactly."

House smiled down at her. "Sounds good to me."

"Yeah," she said as she finished unbuttoning his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders.

"Why don't you go pour us a drink and I'll get the fire started."

Gaby nodded and went to the kitchen while House tossed some logs into the fireplace, struck a match and the fire came to life. He then crossed the room, selected a blues record and placed it gently on the turntable.

"Wow, I didn't know people still used those," Gaby said as she handed him a tumbler of Scotch.

"Blues are meant to be heard this way," he said as he gestured to the floor where he'd thrown down some pillows and a blanket.

"Sexy," she grinned as she got down on the floor next to him and he immediately started kissing her.

"This was a good idea," he murmured against her lips as he lowered her back against the pillows and moved on top of her.

"Greg!" she squealed as she pressed her hands against his chest.

"Mhm?"

"Slow down."

His eyes flipped open and he pulled away. "If you insist."

"This is supposed to be romantic," she giggled when he pouted.

"It is," he nodded and started kissing and nibbling her neck, eliciting a dreamy sigh from her. When his hand slipped down inside her underwear, she gasped. "Mmm like that, Gaby?"

"Yessss..."

"What else do you like? Tell me what you want me to do."

He could see her frown and it made him chuckle because he knew she hated when he made her ask for it.

"I..."

"Tell me," he said, his lips moving down to her throat.

"Getting wet..."

"Good. What else?"

"Feeling your hands all over me." She took his free hand, brought it up to her lips and kissed it. "I love your hands, Greg. And your fingers." He grinned and slipped one finger into her mouth, and she immediately sucked on it, causing him to let out a deep groan.

"I love touching you...everywhere," he said as he slowly pulled his finger out and then kissed her.

"Greg...I want you...I want all of you...right now."

"You have me," he replied as he tugged her underwear off and pulled her on top of him.

Gaby positioned herself over him and as she sank down, she let out a deep, guttural moan that House had never heard before.

He watched her as she moved on top of him, amazed at how she turned into such a hell cat all of a sudden, but he wasn't complaining. Her nails raked over his chest as she nipped at his collar bone.

"Gaby..."

"Greg..."

"So good..."

Together they reached the point of no return and held each other close as they fell into a deep sleep until morning.

X X X

House woke up to find Gaby pacing back and forth as she spoke to someone on her cell. He propped himself up on his elbows and watched her as she spoke in hushed tones to the person on the other end and then snapped her phone shut.

"We're good to go for L.A. You'll be doing your speech and we'll have you fully covered the entire time."

"And where are you going to be?"

"I'll be there, sitting in the front row."

"Bored out of your skull."

Gaby came over and sat on the edge of the bed. "Perhaps, but I like hearing your voice. You could be reading a phone book and it would still have the same effect."

"Really?" he asked, looking surprised.

"Really. You have a very sexy voice, Dr. House. It's a wonder why more women don't throw themselves at your feet. You're good looking, sexy, and brilliant," she said as she gently stroked his scruffy cheek. "And you're mine."

They ate breakfast while she briefed him on their tentative plans. "You will be wired at all times but you won't be armed."

"Aww well that's no fun," he chuckled and sipped his coffee.

Gaby arched an eyebrow at him. "Would you like a weapon? It can be arranged."

"It would be cool but I have no experience."

"We can go to a firing range so you can get the feel of using one."

"Seriously?"

She shrugged. "Sure. I could use some practice myself. When we get to L.A. I know the perfect place."

"When are we leaving?"

"Noon. So start packing. I'll go make the coffee."

He didn't have time to question her, just did what he was told and chuckled to himself at that very idea. When she told him to jump, he felt he was obligated to do her bidding, whatever it might be. As he tossed clothes into his suitcase he shook his head to clear it but the thoughts just kept coming.

He was definitely in love with her. There was no point in denying it anymore. They grew close since he arrived in Venice and their whirlwind romance was just that. It all happened so fast that part of him wondered if he hadn't dreamed it. The smell of the coffee from the kitchen told him it was all very real. He was sure that Nolan would be asking him _"how do you feel about that?"_ and he paused. How did he feel? Was it the same as he had with Stacy? No, not even close. The only thing Stacy had in common with Gaby was that she was confident and driven. Nothing else.

He zipped the suitcase closed, got dressed and went to the kitchen where Gaby was making breakfast and singing softly to the music on the radio. He stood in the doorway and watched as her body swayed along with the tune then he stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he placed kisses down the side of her neck.

"Mmm smells good."

"It's almost ready.

House stepped back from her as he reached for a coffee cup and filled it. They sat and enjoyed breakfast, unaware that across the country, a certain someone was plotting his revenge.


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Sorry about the delay but I hit a block, and then NaNo happened so I had to devote all my brain power to that story. I did win, BTW ;) So stay tuned for that at some point in the near future. It's going to need some serious revision first._

_Anyway, there's only one more chapter after this one, and this is a short chapter because otherwise it would be super long and I figured I should break them up. At this point, I just want to get it done because I don't like leaving a story unfinished and I don't want it to suffer. So here goes._

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

Lucas glanced at the picture of House in the local paper one more time as he cleaned his weapon. The headline in the health section read:

**Renowned Diagnostician to Give Speech at Annual Medical Conference**

_He has to pay. You know what you have to do. _

Since he'd finished his latest round of meds, the voice had gotten more clear as the days went on and had also become more aggressive.

_If you can't have her, no one can. Especially not Dr. House._

Lucas rolled his eyes. Sometimes the voice in his head was like having the devil sitting on his shoulder.

"How cliché," he muttered to himself as he put the gun back in its case and locked it.

XXX

When the plane touched down in sunny California, House reached into his pocket for his sunglasses and put them on. "Oh yeah, this is what I'm talkin about!" he said with a grin as he took in the warm sun and the smog.

"Greg, umm...we're still _inside_ the terminal."

He shrugged. "So? I'm in CalifornIA now. It's cool."

Gaby rolled her eyes and laughed as she tugged on his jacket. "If you insist. Come on, Yolanda's waiting outside."

"Oh goody. I get to meet your partner in crime," House said with a grin as they went outside to a waiting Porche SUV. "Nice ride, " he said as he got into the passenger seat after having called "Shotgun."

Yolanda turned her head and looked House up and down in appraisal. "So, you're the infamous Greg House. Gaby's description of you was spot on."

"Debonair and handsome?"

"No, scruffy and badass."

House glanced at Gaby in the backseat who simply shrugged, and looked back at Yolanda. "I'll buy that."

Yolanda and House talked all the way back to Gaby's until she pulled up in front of a rancher surrounded by palm trees. As House got out, he saw people rollerblading, cycling or walking their dog along a path.

"Nice place."

"Thanks. I know it's not much, but I don't spend a lot of time here."

She turned off the alarm using the keypad and tossed her keys on the side table.

"So do I get the ten cent tour?" House asked her.

"Sure, that's about all it's worth." Gabby went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. "Want a beer to go with the tour?"

"Sure." He joined her in the kitchen and glanced around. "You didn't skimp on appliances at least."

"No, I like to cook when I have time for it."

House cracked open the beer and took a long sip. "So I've seen the kitchen, and the living room. All that's left is the bedroom," he leered.

"I thought I'd save the best for last," Gaby said with a smirk. "Such as it is. Don't get your hopes up."

He followed her down a short hall and she opened the door to the bedroom. "Ta-da!"

The room was nice, but it was small, with just a double bed by the window and a side table next to it.

"Wow. You weren't kidding. It's certainly...cozy."

"That's a polite term for it, even for you."

"I do what I can," he grinned as he sat down on the bed and tested the mattress. "Mattress feels good. Ever use it for anything other than sleeping?"

She frowned. "Yes. And thanks for the reminder. I need to change the sheets."

"C'mere," he said as he crooked his finger at her. She hesitated but joined him on the bed. He leaned over and kissed her very softly.

Her lips were rigid and he backed off. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just not in the mood for this right now. I'm hungry."

"Okay then what do you want to do?"

"There's a good burger place up the street, right on the beach."

"Sold. I could go for that."

"Good, then let's go," she said, and started to get up but House grabbed her hand and pulled her back down.

"Fine, but first," he said and kissed her again. Her lips were still stiff and he sighed. Clearly she wasn't ready to talk about whatever was bothering her so he hoped dinner might help. He wondered what changed from the time they arrived at her place to then, and he couldn't come up with anything.

"Okay then, let's go eat."

They decided to walk over, since it was still daylight, and they got a table outside on the patio.

"So what's going on?" he asked her.

"Nothing."

"Come on. Is it the house? You don't want to be there?"

"No. But I have nowhere else to go."

He shrugged. "Seems pretty simple to me."

"It does?"

"Yeah. Just go check into a hotel."

She cocked her head to one side. "You wouldn't mind?"

"It would be better than having you feeling uncomfortable all the time. And then after this is all over, you can pack up and sell the house and move back to Princeton with me."

"Just like that, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm surprised you didn't think of it already."

"I might have, but since you were with me, I put it out of my mind since I didn't think you'd want to stay in a hotel while you're here."

"I'm sure we can find a nice suite in town close to where the conference is going to be." Then he gave her a sexy grin. "It'll be hot. A nice room with a Jacuzzi tub, big fluffy robes..."

"Okay okay, you've convinced me. And I know just the place."

"Like the Beverly Wilshire?"

Gaby nodded. "That's one."

"How about we go back to your place when we're done here, pack some stuff and then go check it out?"

"Sounds like a plan. Then to the firing range."

"Hmm. Guns and sex all in one day. Sounds hot."

"It certainly could be."

XXX

"That was pretty amazing," House said as they left the firing range. "Makes me want to get my own piece."

She laughed. "What would you do with it even if you had it?"

"Use it for protection, what else? I have a safe."

"A lot of good that would do if someone broke in." Then she mimicked his deep voice. _"Excuse me, let me just go get my gun out of the safe_. And chances are you'd be dead before you could even remember you had a weapon."

House smirked back at her. "Cute."

She considered him for a minute. "Well, if you're serious, then let's go," she said as she tugged him in another direction.

"Where?"

"The sporting goods store."

"Bitchin."

They went inside to the back of the store where the guns and ammo were sold and she helped him pick out a semi-automatic that he was comfortable with, similar to the one he used at the gun range, and when he agreed that it was the right choice, he purchased it and left the store.

"Horny yet?" she teased as they got back in the car.

"Is that an invitation?" he asked as he got behind the wheel.

"Absolutely."

They headed back to the Beverly Wilshire where they'd checked in earlier and spent the rest of the afternoon in bed, opting to get a good night's sleep before the conference the next day.


	13. Chapter 13

**_A/N: So sorry for the delay. I don't like leaving things unfinished, but Untouched was calling for my attention and I had to listen. SO anyway, here we go. I hope this is worth the wait :)_**

**_Parts of this chapter were taken from one of my favorite scenes in "In the Line of Fire" starring Clint Eastwood, so don't sue me. I don't own any of it, I just wanted to use the scene in my story :D_**

**_Thank you to PurplemintPatty for being my Beta and helping me finish this story so I can finally mark it as "Complete"_**

**Chapter Thirteen**

House rolled over in bed and checked the time on the clock radio. It was still only 4 a.m. He'd been tossing and turning most of the night and he knew that Gaby hadn't been sleeping well either.

"Gaby? You awake?" he whispered in the dark.

"Mhm, yeah. Why are you?"

"Probably for the same reasons you are. Big day tomorrow. Or rather, today."

She rolled onto her side to face him but it was still too dark to see much. She could just barely make out his figure under the covers. "Are you scared?"

"Not really. Because I know you have my back."

"Always. Just like I know you'd have mine if the roles were reversed."

"Right. So why let it get to you? And who knows if anything will even happen."

"Something will happen. I can feel it. Lucas isn't the type to give up easily.

"Either way, he's not getting what he wants."

"Over my dead body," Gaby muttered.

House chuckled softly and rested his hand on her hip. "And what a hot body it is. I'd rather have it alive, though."

"Would you, now?" she replied as she inched a little closer to him. His lips found hers in the dark and the kiss was incredibly hot, causing him to pull her even closer and roll them over so he was on top.

"I would," he said before kissing her again. His hands slid down her naked body and up underneath the sheet so he could play with her breasts as his mouth devoured her neck. He figured if he couldn't make her feel better, he could at least provide a very pleasant distraction.

"Mmm very nice," she sighed as she rolled her head back to give him better access to her neck. Her foot slid up his calf to wrap around his hip and he pulled it a little higher so he could slide into her warmth.

"Oh God..." she gasped at the very pleasant surprise invasion.

"Feel better yet?" he asked as he smiled down at her.

"Oh God yes. Sooo much better." Her eyes fluttered closed as he began to move slowly at first, setting the pace.

"Open your eyes," he told her as he moved a little faster. "I like looking into your eyes when I'm making love to you."

She smiled up at him. "I like the way you said that."

He chuckled and kissed her as their passion increased, driving each other closer and closer.

"Greg!" she cried out as he took her to the edge of the abyss and over it. Her legs wrapped tightly around him to keep him closer and deeper as he followed. Her nails had scraped the back of his shoulders but he didn't care. All he could see and feel was her wrapped around him like a vice and that was his undoing. He collapsed on her, buried his face between her shoulder and neck and slowly collected himself. He couldn't understand why she was the only one who'd been able to make him completely come undone. The last week had been very emotional and overwhelming for him and part of it didn't make sense.

He had been in love with Stacy, but she'd never elicited those feelings in him before. So why Gaby? He didn't know but he had a feeling part of it was knowing that he had the need to want to protect her.

"Greg? What're you thinking about? You're quiet."

"Mhm?" he murmured as he slowly rolled off of her and pulled the sheet over them. "Nothing. Get some sleep, okay? I need you in top form."

"Yes, doctor," she grinned and rolled over onto her other side. It didn't' take long for him to hear her slow, deep breathing to know that she'd fallen asleep, and he soon followed.

XXX

A knock on the hotel room door woke them up and House grumbled as Gaby got out of bed to answer it. Yolanda entered carrying a tray of coffee and a bag of bagels for all of them and the aroma carried all the way to the bedroom.

"Are y'all ready for the big day?" she asked them as she added sugar to her coffee.

"With any luck it won't be too exciting," House said as he bit into a bagel slathered with cream cheese.

"Yeah we can hope. It's a large conference center though, so he could literally hide anywhere and we won't see him until it's too late. However, we do have officers covering every entrance so if he comes in, he'll be stopped."

"Unless he's already in the building," House pointed out.

"In which case he won't get out without someone seeing him."

House finished his bagel and downed the rest of his coffee. "I'll be ready in twenty."

The three of them were quiet on the drive to the conference center and when they arrived, House was shown to a lounge with the other speakers.

"You must be Dr. House," he heard someone say and turned around to be met with a strikingly beautiful woman.

"I must be. Who're you?"

The woman held out her hand. "Bethany Rowland. Psychiatry. I'm looking forward to hearing you speak this morning. I've read all your articles."

"All seven?" he chuckled as he made his way to the refreshment table and helped himself to his second cup of the day and a Danish.

"It's a wonder you didn't write more."

"No time. People to save and all that."

"Dr. House!" someone else called to him and he smiled at her, ignoring her look of disappointment.

"Excuse me."

Ten minutes later they were all escorted into the conference room and seated at a long table. House was thankfully on the other end from Bethany. Something about her rubbed him the wrong way and he hoped he wouldn't cross paths with her again later. He scanned the crowd and saw Gaby and Yolanda standing at the back of the room beside a doorway.

"_Everything's fine, Greg_," he heard Gaby through his ear piece.

"_Copy that. All entrances secure_," another voice said in hushed tones.

He made eye contact with her and she gave him an encouraging nod. She looked especially hot in her power suit, hair done in a long braid down her back and yet the boots she wore would surely kick the crap out of anyone who messed with her. It made him proud.

There were six doctors of various specialties speaking that day, each one spoke for thirty minutes and then there was a question period for thirty. It was all pretty basic and low key. At the end of the day, the conference ended and House made a beeline for Gaby immediately. He was intercepted by Bethany in the crowd and felt something press into his side.

House tried to go for his hidden weapon but Bethany stopped him by pressing hers deeper into House's side.

"Don't bother. Come with me. Don't move or I swear to God I'll pull the trigger," she muttered under her breath.

"Something's wrong," Gaby said to Yolanda.

"Where are we going?" House asked Bethany as she took his arm and steered him out of the room.

"Upstairs. I thought we'd have a nice quiet lunch. Just the three of us."

"Oh crap," Gaby said as she turned the volume up on her ear piece so she could hear better. "G_reg don't panic. We've got this. Officers, elevator one. Get in position and stand by_."

_"Roger that. In position. Give me a clear shot behind the ear and I'll turn her off like a switch."_

When they got into the elevator and it started to rise, Bethany shot out the light fixtures overhead, leaving them in darkness. There was glass everywhere and House accidentally cut himself when he jumped back from the falling glass and tripped, using his hand to break his fall, slicing it open.

"Damn it!" House swore as he examined the cut. "I don't suppose you have a cloth or something for this?"

"Sadly no," Bethany said as the elevator continued to rise and then stopped on the tenth floor. "I guess you'll just have to bleed to death."

"Great." House groaned.

The door opened and Lucas stepped inside while Bethany quickly made her escape as the door closed again.

"I'm willing to make a deal, Dr. House," he said, aiming his weapon at House's chest.

"I don't make deals. Just go ahead and shoot," House said.

"_Greg, are you speaking to me?_" Gaby whispered though the earpiece.

"What the hell are you waiting for?" he said.

"What am I waiting for?" Lucas growled. "For you to get the hell out of Gaby's life. She was mine first."

"Finders keepers. Just shoot."

"_It's too dark. They can't see you. If they fire, you'll be hit._"

"Just do it."

"_Alright, Greg. Officers, stand by. On my signal, take the subject out._"

"You want me to shoot you, House? Wow. You must really love her. Well you know what? I love her too."

"That's not love. It's sick. Just shoot damn it."

Lucas pointed the gun at him. "Suit yourself."

"Just one thing," House said. "Aim high."

"What?" Lucas asked, confused at first.

"_Aim high,_" Gaby ordered the officers.

It was then Lucas saw the earpiece. "You son of a bitch."

"_Fire,_" Gaby commanded and shots rang out, breaking the glass of the car. Lucas jumped out of the way but it was too late. He'd already been hit and he collapsed. Blood was dripping from his mouth as he looked up at House.

"I just wanted...her to love me. Like she loved him. I wanted...to show her I...could make her happy."

"That's my job now," House said as he reached up to press the button to go back down. When the doors opened, EMT were standing by to remove Lucas and Gaby rushed over to him, throwing her arms around his neck and clinging for dear life.

"Thank God you're alright," she whispered against his chest as he wrapped one arm around her.

"Sorta. I'm going to need the EMT's too. I cut myself."

Gaby stepped back to see his bloodied hand and signaled for a paramedic. "Get him taken care of. I'll handle the rest, get everyone out of here."

"This is pretty deep, sir. It's going to need stitches."

"Whatever. Just get it done so I can get out of here."

"We'll need to take you to the hospital. We don't have the supplies..."

"I'll drive him," Yolanda volunteered. "Come on."

"I'll meet you there!" Gaby called to them from the crowd as she tried to get control of the situation. "The accomplice is on the tenth floor. I want her downtown."

"Yes, ma'am," the officers said and ran off to do her bidding.

House tried to stay awake on the drive to the hospital but was finding it increasingly difficult.

"Hey," Yolanda shouted, giving him a shove. "No sleeping. We're almost there."

"You said that ten minutes ago," he groaned as he continued to hold the now bloody gauze to the cut and kept it elevated as much as he could.

"Five minutes. I gotta say, Dr. House. What you did took some brass ones. I doubt anyone else in your position would have done that."

"I wasn't just going to roll over. Nor was I expecting him to agree to shoot me that easily, either."

"Oh bullshit," she laughed. "Of course you were."

"No, I thought he'd go after Gaby, not me. I didn't anticipate Bethany. That was unexpected."

"Well it all worked out. Sort of. He's not going to bother her anymore."

"Kinda hard when you're dead. What do you think she's going to do now?"

"Who?"

"Gaby."

"I don't know, but whatever she does, she'll be awesome at it."

"True."

House eventually passed out just as Yolanda pulled up into the ER parking lot. She went around to his side of the car and slapped his face. "Yo! Wake up. We're here."

He gave his head a shake to clear it. "Huh?"

"You. ER. Go get stitched up before Gaby gets here. Then she can take you back to the hotel and you can do...whatever."

"Best suggestion I've heard all day. That and "fire."

Gaby arrived thirty minutes later and House was resting on an exam table with his hand bandaged up.

"How's the hand?" she asked as she gently stroked his face.

"Numb. For now. Get everything taken care of?"

"Yeah. Bethany struck a deal. Slap on the wrist. She'll be on probation for a year and her license to practice will be suspended until further notice."

"So she really was a doctor?"

"Yep. And a long time friend of Lucas's. Which is amusing because that's the first I'd heard of her."

"Some friend."

"She was probably his shrink. So when can I get out of here?" He asked loudly.

"You're free to go now, Dr. House," one of the nurses said with a smile. "And here's your pain medication for the next few days." She gave him a vial and he snorted as he looked at it.

"Vicodin. Lovely. Oh well, let's get out of here. I just want to go back to the hotel and sleep it off."

"I could certainly use a nap myself," Gaby said as they left the building and got into her car. "And some room service."

"Definitely."

XXX

"What's with this traffic? We're running late as it is," House complained.

"Well if someone didn't insist on that round of morning nookie, we wouldn't be late," Gaby reminded him with a cheeky grin.

"My hand was hurting and the Vicodin was only barely taking the edge off. I needed the endorphin rush."

"Which you got. So stop whining. If we miss the flight, we miss the flight. There will be others."

Yolanda pulled up to the departure spot and they made their goodbyes before running inside to check in.

"I'm sorry, that flight has already pushed back from the gate," the clerk told them, while still smiling.

"Okay, then we'll get on the next flight," Gaby said. "When's that one?"

"The next flight to Newark, New Jersey leaves in...three hours."

"Fine. We'll take it."

"Excellent. Here are your boarding passes. They'll be boarding 45 minutes before takeoff."

"Well, since we have some time, let's go eat, I'm starving."

"Of course you are," Gaby laughed as they walked through the terminal.

XXX

"Well, here we are," he said as he dropped his bags on the floor near the door and reached for Gaby.

"Yes, here we are. Finally home," she said as she gently ran her fingers through his hair and smiled at him.

"So what should we do now?" he asked between kisses.

"I could use a nap," she said with a sexy grin.

"Yeah, I'm suddenly feeling a little tired as well. Let's do that. I miss my bed."

"Why do I get the feeling that we're not going to sleep?"

"Because we're not," he leered, tugging her in the direction of his bedroom and then closed the door behind them.

**The End**


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